Path Finder for freezing of gait in people with Parkinson’s disease

Patient organisation comments

Parkinson's UK noted that patients with freezing of gait are at a higher risk of falls, and that falls are the largest cause of emergency hospital admissions in people with Parkinson's disease. Also, freezing of gait can cause anxiety because the person may not be aware of the trigger, making symptoms unpredictable. This can reduce their confidence in staying active or leaving the house, and many fear they may freeze in dangerous situations such as in the middle of the road. People with Parkinson's disease can feel misunderstood, and their movements are often misinterpreted. Those with freezing of gait have expressed the increased stress of being in public because of the reactions of others. Parkinson's UK noted that Path Finder may reduce freezing of gait and the risk of falls, and that this could improve the quality of life of patients and provide cost-savings for the NHS. They also thought Path Finder would provide particular benefit to those with freezing of gait symptoms who do not respond well to other freezing management techniques (such as auditory cues, sensory cues or vibrational cues). Feedback from their patients and professionals (a physiotherapist and an occupational therapist with expertise in Parkinson's disease) is that the device is non-discrete and bulky. Patients felt it drew attention to them, and were uncomfortable wearing it. Based on this, Parkinson's UK felt the technology would only be suitable for those with extreme freezing symptoms and no sense of embarrassment. Overall, their patients did not find Path Finder easy to use and noted difficulties with attaching the device, particularly to certain shoe types such as slippers and canvas shoes. Patients felt that more information is needed on how to attach and operate the device correctly. It was also noted that the device appeared to work better on hard flat surfaces such as tiled or wooden floors and that the laser lines were difficult to see outdoors in daylight. Parkinson's UK noted that the device is costly and in its current form does not meet the needs of patients.