Name:Jennifer, Lee

School/Affiliation:Western University

Co-Authors:Sarah Park, Dawn Rose, Kristi Von Handorf, Jessica Grahn

Virtual or In-person:In-person

Short Bio:

Jennifer is a 4th-year Bachelor of Medical Sciences student pursuing an Honours Specialization in Physiology and Pharmacology and a minor in Psychology at Western University. She has been a research assistant in the Music and Neuroscience lab (PI Dr. Jessica Grahn) since 2023, and working on exploring how people with Parkinson's can use internal cues since 2024. She held a BrainsCAN Diversity in Neuroscience Internship over the summer of 2024 to support her work on this project.

Abstract:

External music-based cueing is an effective support for gait for People with Parkinson’s Disease (PwP). Internally generated cueing, especially with familiar music, may also regulate gait, but without the technology limitations of external cueing and greater practicality for everyday use. In addition, spontaneous synchronization of movements to the cue, even without explicit instruction, may contribute to the effectiveness of internal cueing. Here we compared the effects of imagining a familiar vs a novel tune on spatiotemporal gait parameters, including variability in younger adults (n=15), older adults (n=14), and PwP (n=13). Baseline gait was measured, followed by two internal cueing conditions: internally rehearsing a newly taught, unfamiliar (novel) tune and a participant-selected familiar tune. No instructions were given to synchronize steps with the cues. To qualitatively assess spontaneous sensorimotor synchronization, each walking trial was repeated and audio-recorded while participants sang the cues out loud. Finally, participants completed cognitive, music-related, and Parkinson’s-specific self-report assessments. Across groups, internal cueing did not significantly change gait variability in (stride length and velocity, cadence). However, PwP had wider strides while imagining the novel tune. Exploratory examination of the audio recordings suggested that PwP may be less inclined to spontaneously synchronize gait to internal cues. While internal cueing did not alter gait variability, it may subtly influence certain gait features in PwP. Reduced spontaneous sensorimotor synchronization in PwP highlights possible limitations of internal cueing. Future research exploring individual differences may help to better tailor internal cueing strategies for everyday support for PwP.