Sensorimotor integration and functional mobility in early-stage Parkinson’s disease: A cross-sectional study using clinically feasible assessments

by Mohammad A. ALMohiza, Ravi Shankar Reddy Early-stage Parkinson’s disease (PD) often features subtle sensorimotor integration deficits that may precede noticeable motor decline.

This study examined how proprioceptive acuity, balance performance, and functional mobility relate to dual-task gait cost (DTC) in individuals with early-stage PD. Forty-six participants with idiopathic PD (Hoehn & Yahr stages I–II) completed assessments including passive ankle joint position sense testing for proprioception, the modified Clinical Test of Sensory Interaction on Balance (mCTSIB), and a reactive stepping task for balance.

Gait was evaluated with the 10-Meter Walk Test under single- and dual-task (verbal fluency) conditions, and DTC was calculated from changes in gait speed. Greater proprioceptive error was significantly associated with slower dual-task gait speed (r = –0.52, p < 0.001), higher DTC (r = 0.47, p = 0.002), and increased stride time variability (r = 0.45, p = 0.003).

In a multiple regression, proprioceptive error (β = 0.43, p < 0.001) and mCTSIB composite score (β = –0.40, p = 0.004) independently predicted DTC, with a mean of 17.3% (SD = 6.8).