Western University Scholarship@Western Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository 7-30-2019 2:30 PM Optimizing Gait Outcomes in Parkinson's Disease with Auditory Cues: The Effects of Synchronization, Groove, and Beat Perception Ability Emily A. Ready The University of Western Ontario Supervisor Grahn, Jessica A. The University of Western Ontario Joint Supervisor Holmes, Jeffrey D. The University of Western Ontario Graduate Program in Health and Rehabilitation Sciences A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the equirr ements for the degree in Doctor of Philosophy © Emily A. Ready 2019 Follow this and additional works at: https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/etd Part of the Occupational Therapy Commons, Physical Therapy Commons, Physiotherapy Commons, and the Psychology Commons Recommended Citation Ready, Emily A., "Optimizing Gait Outcomes in Parkinson's Disease with Auditory Cues: The Effects of Synchronization, Groove, and Beat Perception Ability" (2019). Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository. 6443. https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/etd/6443 This Dissertation/Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by Scholarship@Western. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository by an authorized administrator of Scholarship@Western. For more information, please contact
[email protected]. Abstract This dissertation explores a common, rehabilitative strategy for mitigating gait impairments in Parkinson’s disease (PD) called Rhythmic Auditory Stimulation (RAS). The effects of this intervention on gait in PD are well documented but highly variable, which poses difficulty for appropriate therapeutic application. Part of this variability may be related to individual musical abilities, such as beat perception accuracy, as most RAS interventions involve synchronizing with a beat.