MDS 2021 | Compensations must be considered when diagnosing gait disorders

Alfonso Fasano, MD, PhD, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada, discusses the impact of compensatory mechanisms on gait disorder presentation and how this should be considered when diagnosing a patient’s underlying neurological (or non-neurological) syndrome. Balance problems, pain, and weakness are all common features of movement disorders that patients may try to manage through compensatory mechanisms. In this way, certain features of a patient’s gait may not be characteristic of their true diagnosis, but reflections of their management techniques. This interview took place during the 2021 International Congress of Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders.