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FEATURED BOOKS ON GAIT DISORDERS FROM BARNES & NOBLE.COM:
Festinating gait
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A type of walking (gait) characterized by a flexed trunk with the legs flexed stiffly at the knees and hips. The trunk is the part of the body below the head, not including the arms and legs. When people walk with a festinating gait, their arms do not swing. People with festinating gait take short steps, which eventually become faster. The steps become faster because the person is trying to catch up with him/herself, since his/her center of gravity (the part where the entire weight of the body is concentrated) has been altered. The center of gravity is usually altered because the person cannot stay balanced.
Festinating gait is often seen in people with Parkinson's disease and other neurological diseases, particularly those that impair the basal ganglia (an area on the bottom part of the brain that controls movement). Parkinson's disease is a type of brain disorder that leads to serious difficulties with muscle movements. |
Festinating gait is also known as festination. Festinating gait comes from the Latin word "festino" meaning "to hasten," and the Old Norse word "geta" or "gata," meaning "a way." Put the words together and you have "a way of moving quickly."
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