Gait dysfunction as an early marker of phenoconversion in REM sleep behavior disorder

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

  • Wiebke Hermann - , Department of Neurology, Rostock University Medical Centre (Author)
  • Aleyna Sankutlu - , Rostock University Medical Centre (Author)
  • Lydia Nabers - , Department of Neurology (Author)
  • Tony Sehr - , Department of Neurology, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus Dresden (Author)
  • Katrin Trentzsch - , Department of Neurology, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus Dresden (Author)
  • Markus Donix - , Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus Dresden (Author)
  • Heinz Reichmann - , Department of Neurology, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus Dresden (Author)
  • Moritz D Brandt - , Department of Neurology, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus Dresden, Elblandklinikum Meißen-Radebeul (Author)
  • Alexander Storch - , Rostock University Medical Centre, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) - Partner Site Rostock/Greifswald (Author)
  • Tjalf Ziemssen - , Department of Neurology, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus Dresden (Author)

Abstract

Clinical isolated REM Sleep Behavior Disorder (iRBD) is a prodromal stage of α-synucleinopathies such as Parkinson's disease (PD). Longitudinal changes of gait as a marker of phenoconversion in iRBD have not been systematically evaluated yet. Therefore, twenty-one iRBD patients, nineteen matched healthy controls and fourteen PD patients (H&Y stage I - III) were assessed at baseline using a pressure-sensor walkway (GAITRite). While normalized gait velocity and walking endurance were significantly decreased in iRBD patients compared to controls, gait rhythm parameters such as single support further discriminated PD from iRBD and controls. IRBD patients at imminent risk of phenoconversion within the next 3.7 ± 0.6 years were distinguishable from non-converters by gait rhythm parameters such as single support. Since gait evaluation of our iRBD cohort showed promising results in predicting imminent phenoconversion, future multicenter trials should include gait analysis as an objective assessment of motor function to confirm our results.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Article number5614
JournalScientific reports
Volume16
Issue number1
Publication statusPublished - 9 Feb 2026
Peer-reviewedYes

External IDs

PubMedCentral PMC12891670
Scopus 105029666440
ORCID /0000-0001-8799-8202/work/205992332
ORCID /0000-0003-2832-4640/work/205992406

Keywords

Keywords

  • Aged, Biomarkers, Case-Control Studies, Female, Gait Disorders, Neurologic/physiopathology, Gait/physiology, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Parkinson Disease/physiopathology, REM Sleep Behavior Disorder/physiopathology, Progression, Gait dysfunction, REM sleep behaviour disorder, Parkinson’s disease, Α-synucleinopathies