Respiratory responses reflecting emotional contribution to freezing of gait in Parkinson's disease

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K12154
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 90150:Medical assistive technology-related
• Research Institution: Bukkyo University
• Principal Investigator: Ishii Mitsuaki 佛教大学, 保健医療技術学部, 教授 (70445972)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: すくみ足 / 情動 / 呼吸 / ウェアラブルセンサー

Outline of Final Research Achievements

It has been well known that FOG in PD is elicited when patients are exposed to stressful situations producing emotional distress. We hypothesized that respiratory abnormality associated with emotion may coincide with some FOG episodes. We used the wearable vest to measure the respiratory responses and the anterior-posterior accelerations of the trunk for detecting FOG episodes in passing the automatic revolving door.
While walking without FOG, the breathing pattern was regular. However, our patient presented sudden alteration in the breathing pattern not only during, but also just prior to FOG. Respiratory abnormality was characterized by a short period of apneic pause at a high lung volume. it appears that emotional stimuli lead to transiently disordered automatic control of breathing. A limbic overload may increase the inhibitory output of the basal ganglia, resulting in momentary inhibition in the brainstem respiratory center. Before relief from FOG, deep expiration was observed.

Free Research Field

リハビリテーション科学・福祉工学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究では，実際のすくみ足の状況に情動が関与しているかどうかの判断の根拠となる客観的な指標を示すことができた．すくみ足に関連した呼吸変化が，脅威な状況で顕著になり，またすくみ足の最中だけでなく直前に生じていることは，情動がすくみ足の誘因となっている可能性を示す．
情動による反応は心拍数よりも呼吸の方が早いことから，呼吸反応を捉えることはすくみ足への情動の貢献をより早く把握することを可能にし，臨床的な意義が大きい．すくみ足から解放直前の深呼気は，辺縁系への過負荷をリセットするための呼吸の意識的なコントロールと思われる．以上から，本研究結果は，実生活でのすくみ足の予防と克服に繋がる可能性がある．