Gait stability in diabetic peripheral neuropathy

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate gait stability in diabetic patients with peripheral neuropathy in three conditions: habitual walking with eyes open, walking with eyes closed, and walking with eyes open and narrow base of support. The study included 41 subjects, 18 with neuropathy (NG) and 23 controls. Gait stability was evaluated on a baropodometer using the Footwalk Pro software. The following data were obtained: gait speed and percentage of time spent in double stance and single stance. Significant differences were observed between groups in all three conditions for gait speed and single stance time, which were reduced in NG (p<0.05), and for double stance time, which was increased in NG (p<0.05). For gait speed, double stance time and single stance time, the eyes open condition differed from the eyes closed (p<0.001) and narrow base of support (p<0.001) conditions. In the three conditions studied, patients of NG presented a deficit in gait stability and this performance was even more compromised in the two conditions that required greater postural control. These gait changes resulting from the complexity imposed by the different conditions suggest the inclusion of these conditions in the evaluation and treatment of this population.