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Singing As A Therapeutic Technique To Improve Gait For People With Parkinson Disease, Elinor Harrison

Arts & Sciences Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Abstract of the Dissertation

Singing as a Therapeutic Technique to

Improve Gait for People with Parkinson Disease

by

Elinor Clare Harrison

Doctor of Philosophy in Movement Science

Neurosciences

Washington University in St. Louis, 2018

Professor Gammon Earhart, Chair

Gait impairment is common in older adults and even more prevalent for people with Parkinson disease (PD). Gait dysfunction is often characterized by reductions in speed, step frequency, and step length. In addition, decreased ability to regulate step length and step frequency may contribute to increased gait variability, making walking less stable and increasing risk for falls. As gait deficits are often …