Thesis defense Claudia Barthel (Donders series 309)

3 April 2018

Promotor: Prof. dr. B. Bloem
Copromotors: dr. V. Weerdesteyn, dr. N. de Vries

Moving beyond freezing of gait in Parkinson's disease

Walking is an automatic part of our daily routine. Most people do not have to think about how to make the next step in order to cross a street or to get onto a bus. However, such tasks might become quite challenging for someone living with a neurological disease. One of the most common neurodegenerative disorders is Parkinson’s disease (PD). The preva-lence of PD is increasing with age and is estimated at 950 per 100 000 in people 65 years and above living in Europe and the US [1; 2]. Some studies found a higher incidence in men than in women but others reported no gender differences [3; 4]. PD can have a tremen-dous impact on daily life including mobility limitations and reduced health-related quality of life [5]. Even with optimal medical and non-pharmacological management, PD remains extremely debilitating, highlighting the importance of more research in this field.