Grant: Travel Awards - Institute Community Support

Parkinson's Disease is a neurodegenerative disease leading to motor impairments, often affecting posture and gait. Such impairments include freezing of gait (FOG), episodes of brief motor blockages of the lower limbs where feet seem glued to the ground despite attempting to move. As FOG may have debilitating consequences for patients such as falls, it is paramount to understand how the presence of FOG alters neural control of locomotion. Surprisingly, neural mechanisms underlying this symptom are poorly known. Thus, the purpose of this study is to identify if the change in brain circuitry in adults without freezing of gait is different from those who do experience freezing of gait. This will allow to better understand FOG, allowing the design of better interventions to alleviate patients.