CONICET | Buscador de Institutos y Recursos Humanos

Gait disorders are caused by many neurological and non-neurological diseases and often reflect a broad range of dysfunctions of the central and peripheral nervous systems. Parkinson?s disease (PD) is characterized by motor dysfunctions and gait disturbance that include changes in spatiotemporal features of locomotion such as reduced overall velocity, decreased arm swing, reduced stride length, and increased duration of the stance phase. In this preliminary study we have explored dynamics aspects of the gait in a 6-OHDA rat model of PD and have quantified the gait parameters changes and its correlation with electrical parameters of movement?s cortical control. High-speed digital cameras have been used to image the side of rats walking on a transparent and circular treadmill. Images of the hindlimb step cycle were digitalized and quantified to be correlated with the cortical activity recorded from the hindlimb motor area. The electrocorticographic signals were correlated with gait analysis data in order to study qualitative and quantitative aspects of motor control. Preliminary results showed remarkable differences between the maximum angle of movement and the phase of the gait cycle in which this angle is reached. Synchronizations were found between movements of the gait cycle and activations in the gamma band in the primary motor cortex; the gamma activations were reduced on the injured side. In the animal control, the onsets in the gamma waves occur between 20-40% and between 60-80% of the gait cycle, whereas in the injured rats only occurs between 20-40%. This experimental protocol allows the complete study of the step cycle and correlates it with changes in motor parameters of electrocorticographic signals.