Novel Exposure to Concurrent Music Compromises Locomotor Performance in Parkinson’s Disease

The effect of concurrent music on gait was investigated amongst Parkinson " s disease (PD) patients and age-matched control subjects. Ten people (mean age 66.6 ± 6.5 years) with idiopathic Parkinson " s disease and ten healthy age-matched (mean age 65.4 ± 6.3 years) control subjects completed steady state gait, dual task and obstacle negotiation trials in two differing test conditions; no music and whilst listening to music. Testing conditions were counterbalanced between subjects. The gait performance of PD patients was detrimentally affected by concurrently listening to music during steady state gait and obstacle negotiation, an effect that was further compounded in the dual task context. These findings imply that listening to music concurrent to gait may increase the attentional cost for PD patients. The findings of these studies have implications for patients, who may be at greater risk of falls in multi-task situations.