# Visual control of locomotion in people with Parkinson's disease

> **NIH NIH P20** · UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA OMAHA · 2020 · $190,389

## Abstract

Gait impairments are a core feature in Parkinson’s disease and patients become more visually dependent to 
compensate for their motor deficits. Yet, visual disturbances are a common, but often overlooked problem in 
Parkinson’s disease, that may lead to unsafe locomotion. To navigate efficiently through complex real-world 
environments, eye movements need to be attuned to the locomotor task. Gaze anticipation during walking and 
turning is critical for motor anticipation, and contributes to the spatial perception during motion. The overall goal 
of this project is to characterize how gaze is attenuated to different aspect of the environment and how visual 
function relates to dynamic stability during walking in complex real-world settings. The specific aims are: I. To 
determine the effect of path complexity on visual control of locomotion. II. To determine the effect of medication 
state on visual control of locomotion. III. To investigate how cognition is related to visual control of locomotion. 
Building upon technological advances, this project aims to determine the contribution of visual function and 
cognition on gait outcomes in people with Parkinson's disease in complex real-world settings with the goal to 
inform future interventions.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10230931
- **Project number:** 5P20GM109090-07
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA OMAHA
- **Principal Investigator:** Carolin Curtze
- **Activity code:** P20 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $190,389
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2020-04-01 → 2024-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10230931

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10230931, Visual control of locomotion in people with Parkinson's disease (5P20GM109090-07). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-06-04 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10230931. Licensed CC0.

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