This Mentored Research Scientist Development Award will provide the applicant, a doctorally and postdoctorally educated physical therapist, with the training necessary to achieve the long-term objective of an independent career in rehabilitation research. The applicant's expertise in the study of neural control of locomotion will be combined with the sponsor's expertise in the evaluation, treatment, and study of individuals with Parkinson's disease. The training provided will allow the applicant to investigate mechanisms underlying gait difficulties in individuals with Parkinson's disease, with the ultimate goal of developing rehabilitative strategies to maximize functional mobility in these individuals. The proposed studies will focus on turning during walking, as many subjects with Parkinson's disease have difficulty with turning and little research has focused on this functionally critical movement. The proposed studies will address the following hypotheses: 1) problems with the selection and production of appropriate motor patterns contribute to impaired turning movements, 2) conventional pharmacological treatments partially improve turning motor patterns but do not completely address the problem, 3) subjects with Parkinson's disease retain the ability to modify locomotor output and produce appropriate turning patterns when provided with relevant external stimuli, and 4) rotating treadmill stimulation may be an effective rehabilitative tool for providing these external stimuli, thereby enhancing turning ability. All of these hypotheses will be investigated using whole-body, 3-D movement analyses in conjunction with electromyographic recordings. Subjects with Parkinson's disease will be compared to age- and gender-matched control subjects. Results of the proposed studies will provide important insights regarding the effects of Parkinson's disease on gait, evaluate the effectiveness of current therapies in addressing gait difficulties, and guide future rehabilitation strategies for improving functional mobility in people with Parkinson's disease.
| Falvo, Michael J; Rohrbaugh, John W; Alexander, Thomas et al. (2018) Effects of Parkinson disease and antiparkinson medication on central adaptations to repetitive grasping. Life Sci 200:1-5 |
| Falvo, Michael J; Sirevaag, Erik J; Rohrbaugh, John W et al. (2011) Central adaptations to repetitive grasping in healthy aging. Brain Topogr 24:292-301 |
| Scott, John T; Lohnes, Corey A; Horak, Fay B et al. (2011) Podokinetic stimulation causes shifts in perception of straight ahead. Exp Brain Res 208:313-21 |
| McNeely, Marie E; Earhart, Gammon M (2010) Evidence for limb-independent control of locomotor trajectory. Exp Brain Res 201:613-8 |
| Falvo, Michael J; Sirevaag, Erik J; Rohrbaugh, John W et al. (2010) Resistance training induces supraspinal adaptations: evidence from movement-related cortical potentials. Eur J Appl Physiol 109:923-33 |
| Burack, M A; Hartlein, J; Flores, H P et al. (2010) In vivo amyloid imaging in autopsy-confirmed Parkinson disease with dementia. Neurology 74:77-84 |
| Earhart, Gammon M; Henckens, Josée M; Carlson-Kuhta, Patricia et al. (2010) Influence of vision on adaptive postural responses following standing on an incline. Exp Brain Res 203:221-6 |
| Hackney, Madeleine E; Earhart, Gammon M (2010) The effects of a secondary task on forward and backward walking in Parkinson's disease. Neurorehabil Neural Repair 24:97-106 |
| Hackney, Madeleine E; Earhart, Gammon M (2010) Effects of dance on balance and gait in severe Parkinson disease: a case study. Disabil Rehabil 32:679-84 |
| Hong, Minna; Earhart, Gammon M (2010) Effects of medication on turning deficits in individuals with Parkinson's disease. J Neurol Phys Ther 34:11-6 |
Showing the most recent 10 out of 34 publications
