Gait analysis and cortical recordings in a Parkinson?s disease animal model

JUAN CARLOS SORIA; JAIME MORALES; PABLO YOSIN TERUYA; ALVARO GABRIEL PIZÁ; FERNANDO DANIEL FARFÁN; GABRIEL ALFREDO RUIZ; ANA LÍA ALBARRACÍN; CARMELO JOSÉ FELICE

Buenos Aires

Congreso; 2do FALAN Congress 2016; 2016

Federation of Latin American and Caribbean Neuroscience Societies

Gait disorders are caused by many neurological and nonneurological 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 during the temporal course of the lesion progress. High-speed digital cameras have been used to image the underside and 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 motor area. The electrocorticographic signals were correlated with gait analysis data in order to study qualitative and quantitative aspects of motor control. These results are discussed in relation to the gait feature changes and the progress of the disease.