Objective:

To propose updated clinical and technical definitions of freezing of gait (FOG) in Parkinson's disease for standardization in assessment.

Approach:

Key Findings:

• FOG occurs during gait initiation, turning, or stepping in any direction.
• Freezing episodes are defined by ineffective steps relative to a patient's typical pattern.
• Three categories of freezing manifestations were established: akinetic, kinetic-trembling, and kinetic-no-trembling.

Interpretation:

Standardizing definitions enhances reliability in FOG measurements and supports validation of objective detection methods.

Limitations:

• Self-reported symptoms may be influenced by recall bias.
• Classification certainty is lowest when based solely on patient-reported symptoms.

Conclusion:

The new definitions aim to improve the reliability of FOG assessments and facilitate faster scoring and better inter-rater reliability.

Sources:

• Nature Reviews Neurology
Source

Based on findings from:

‘Freezing Of Gait’ Gets New Definition

Kathryn Wighton. MDSpire News, 2026.

https://news.mdspire.com/neurology/articles/freezing-of-gait-gets-new-definition/

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