Freezing episodes in hemiparetic stroke: results of a pilot survey.

OBJECTIVE

To determine whether freezing episodes commonly occur in patients who have had a hemiparetic stroke.

DESIGN

A postal questionnaire sent to 108 patients who had been admitted to our Stroke Unit with a hemiparesis due to an acute ischaemic stroke or a primary intracerebral haemorrhage.

RESULTS

Ninety-three questionnaires were returned, of which 14 were unsuitable for analysis as the patients were unable to walk. The remaining 79 questionnaires were analysed (response rate 73%). Twenty-six (33%) patients reported freezing episodes while walking.

CONCLUSIONS

Freezing episodes have been underappreciated in patients who have had a hemiparetic stroke. This is potentially important as these patients may benefit from some of the rehabilitation techniques currently being developed for patients with cerebral multi-infarct states who have similar gait problems. Future studies should be more widely based and designed to characterize the nature of the freezing episodes and their relationship to the location of the lesion.