Spinal Cord Stimulation for Gait in Parkinson Disease

Balance and gait impairment increases the risk of falls and contributes to a reduced quality of life and shorter survival in Parkinson disease (PD) and atypical Parkinsonism patients. In preliminary case studies, electrical epidural spinal cord stimulation (SCS) has been shown to significantly improve gait, postural instability, rigidity, and tremor. Controlled studies for optimizing which stimulation settings produce the best clinical response for mobility and gait, and achieving these results chronically are all significant unmet needs. Using quantitative laboratory and mobile technologies to test a range of stimulation settings, this research study aims to determine which SCS parameters or combination of parameters is best suited to effectively alleviate disabling symptoms experienced by each patient.