Objective To explore whether the proprioceptive sensory cueing delivered by electrical stimulator to common peroneal nerve can improve the freezing of gait of parkinsonian patients. Methods Thirty patients with Parkinson′s disease experiencing freezing of gait (FOG) admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University from January to December 2018 were included in the trial. Proprioceptive sensory cueing was provided by alternating electrical stimuli to bilateral common peroneal nerves delivered through the wearable electrical stimulator automatically triggered by walking. The modified 12 meters Timed Walking Test, six items of the modified Parkinson Activity Scale (PSA?6), and FOG score were used to test the gait function respectively when the stimulator was turned on and off. Results Compared to the off status, time duration for two 360°turns (T360), initiating (T1) and the turning (T2) was reduced with statistical significance when the stimulator was turned on in the three trial situations which were walking with no extra task (17.49 (13.55, 23.48) s vs 14.73 (10.31, 21.71) s, 2.16 (1.78, 2.68) s vs 1.70 (1.38, 2.29) s, 6.37 (4.10, 7.45) s vs 4.77 (3.40, 6.85) s; Z=-3.219,-4.206,-2.910, P<0.05), walking with cognitive task (21.35 (16.30, 30.72) s vs 18.36 (13.83, 27.98) s, 2.80 (2.05, 3.75) s vs 2.04 (1.64, 3.00) s, 6.58 (5.23, 8.96) s vs 5.75 (4.59, 7.76) s; Z=-3.486,-4.206,-3.363, P<0.05) and walking with motor task (25.34 (17.79, 30.30) s vs 22.24 (14.11, 29.33) s, 2.46 (2.19, 3.18) s vs 2.35 (1.66, 2.59) s, 7.77 (4.75, 9.93) s vs 6.45 (3.81, 7.66) s; Z=-3.468,-3.983,-3.570, P<0.05). In all the three exercise modes, the maintaining time (T3) was not significantly different. With the stimulator turned on, the total walking time (Tt) was not significantly different when the patients walked without extra task and with cognitive task but obviously improved with motor task (29.26 (20.11, 33.21) s vs 27.66 (17.70, 32.73) s, Z=-2.644, P=0.008). Compared to the off status, patients showed higher PAS?6 scores (18.99±2.55 vs 16.82±2.92, t=-6.617, P=0.000) and lower FOG scores (14.10 ± 5.02 vs 10.61 ± 5.05, t=6.151, P=0.000) with statistical significance when the stimulator was turned on. Conclusion The wearable electrical stimulator can alleviate FOG in patients with Parkinson′s disease by improving rotation, gait initiation and turning and may be used as a new rehabilitative therapy for patients with FOG.

Objective: To explore whether the proprioceptive sensory cueing delivered by electrical stimulator to common peroneal nerve can improve the freezing of gait of parkinsonian patients. Methods: Thirty patients with Parkinson′s disease experiencing freezing of gait (FOG) admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University from January to December 2018 were included in the trial. Proprioceptive sensory cueing was provided by alternating electrical stimuli to bilateral common peroneal nerves delivered through the wearable electrical stimulator automatically triggered by walking. The modified 12 meters Timed Walking Test, six items of the modified Parkinson Activity Scale (PSA-6), and FOG score were used to test the gait function respectively when the stimulator was turned on and off. Results: Compared to the off status, time duration for two 360° turns (T360), initiating (T1) and the turning (T2) was reduced with statistical significance when the stimulator was turned on in the three trial situations which were walking with no extra task (17.49 (13.55, 23.48) s vs 14.73 (10.31, 21.71) s, 2.16 (1.78, 2.68) s vs 1.70 (1.38, 2.29) s, 6.37 (4.10, 7.45) s vs 4.77 (3.40, 6.85) s; Z=-3.219, -4.206, -2.910, P<0.05), walking with cognitive task (21.35 (16.30, 30.72) s vs 18.36 (13.83, 27.98) s, 2.80 (2.05, 3.75) s vs 2.04 (1.64, 3.00) s, 6.58 (5.23, 8.96) s vs 5.75 (4.59, 7.76) s; Z=-3.486, -4.206, -3.363, P<0.05) and walking with motor task (25.34 (17.79, 30.30) s vs 22.24 (14.11, 29.33) s, 2.46 (2.19, 3.18) s vs 2.35 (1.66, 2.59) s, 7.77 (4.75, 9.93) s vs 6.45 (3.81, 7.66) s; Z=-3.468, -3.983, -3.570, P<0.05). In all the three exercise modes, the maintaining time (T3) was not significantly different. With the stimulator turned on, the total walking time (Tt) was not significantly different when the patients walked without extra task and with cognitive task but obviously improved with motor task (29.26 (20.11, 33.21) s vs 27.66 (17.70, 32.73) s, Z=-2.644, P=0.008). Compared to the off status, patients showed higher PAS-6 scores (18.99±2.55 vs 16.82±2.92, t=-6.617, P=0.000) and lower FOG scores (14.10±5.02 vs 10.61±5.05, t=6.151, P=0.000) with statistical significance when the stimulator was turned on. Conclusion The wearable electrical stimulator can alleviate FOG in patients with Parkinson′s disease by improving rotation, gait initiation and turning and may be used as a new rehabilitative therapy for patients with FOG.

Objective:To study the features as well as the diagnosis and differential diagnosis values by conventional MRI morphometrics in different clinical subtypes of progressive supranuclear palsy(PSP).Methods:Forty five patients with PSP were included, comprising three PSP subtypes: 15 cases of Richardson's syndrome(PSP-RS), 15 cases of Parkinson's syndrome(PSP-P)and 15 cases of progressive frozen gait(PSP-PFG). In addition, three control groups were established: 15 cases of multiple system atrophy-Parkinson's syndrome(MSA-P), 30 cases of primary Parkinson's disease(PD)and 40 healthy controls(HC). Midbrain area-to-Pons area ratio(M/P), Magnetic Resonance Parkinsonism Index(MRPI, MRPI2.0), width ratio of middle cerebellar peduncle to superior cerebellar peduncle(MCP/SCP), Midbrain-to-Pons ratio(MTPR), Angle of cerebral peduncle(A cp), third ventricle width/frontal horns width ratio(V 3rd/FH), and Humming bird sign rating scale(HBS-RS)scores were calculated.Diagnostic sensitivity and specificity were performed by ROC curve to assess the accuracy of these imaging indicators in the diagnosis and differential diagnosis of PSP and its subtypes. Results:The MRPI, MRPI2.0, MCP/SCP and HBS-RS scores were significantly higher in PSP group than in other control groups( H=69.351, 66.776, 33.926 and 84.694, all P<0.05), while M/P and MTPR were significantly lower in PSP group than in other control groups(H=60.101 and 77.276, all P<0.05). PSP group also had higher V 3rd/FH compared with PD or HC group( F=17.168, P<0.05), but not with MSA-P group( Z=-1.602, P>0.05). The above differences also existed between each PSP subgroup and control groups.Among PSP subgroups, PSP-PFG subgroup had a larger A cp than did PSP-RS( Z=-2.510, P<0.05), and had higher HBS-RS score than did PSP-P group( Z=-2.380, P<0.05). No significant differences in other MRI morphometric indexes were identified among PSP subtypes.The M/P, MRPI, MTPR, MRPI2.0, HBS-RS score showed good accuracy in diagnosing PSP and its each subgroup, with HBS-RS score being the most accurate indicator, when the cutoff value was 2, the AUC values were all higher than 0.99, and the sensitivity and specificity were all above 90%.PSP and its subtypes were best distinguished from MSA-P by MRPI, when the cutoff value was 9.94, the AUC values were all higher than 0.90, with the sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 86.67%.PSP and its subtypes were best distinguished from PD by MTPR, AUC values were all above 0.95, with slightly different cutoff values.Almost all the morphological measurement parameters failed to show significant sensitivity and specificity in discriminating subtypes of PSP.The sensitivity and specificity of almost all MRI morphometry indicators in differentiating different subtypes of PSP are not high. Conclusions:MRI morphometrics have a high value both in the diagnosis of PSP and its subtypes, and also in specific application fields.MRI morphometrics have a limited value in discriminating PSP subtypes.