The Effect of Sensory Reweighting on Postural Control and Cortical Activity in Parkinson's Disease: A Pilot Study

To investigate the effects of sensory reweighting on postural control and cortical activity in individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD) compared to age-matched controls using a virtual reality sensory organization test (VR-SOT). Cross-sectional pilot study. University research laboratory. Ten participants with idiopathic Parkinson's disease and 11 age- and sex-matched control participants without neurologic disorders. Not applicable. Changes in center of pressure (COP) and electroencephalography (EEG) activity (ie, power) in the alpha band and the theta/beta ratio recorded during the VR-SOT were the main outcome variables. PD participants exhibited greater COP displacement, particularly in the mediolateral direction across sensory conditions. They also showed increased alpha power when relying on visual inputs and increased theta/beta ratio power when depending on somatosensory inputs. PD affects sensory reweighting mechanisms involved in postural control, as evidenced by greater COP displacement and altered cortical activity. These findings emphasize the potential of EEG and VR-SOT in understanding and monitoring postural control impairments in PD.