The relationship between gait performance and cognitive function in Parkinson's disease is one of the most clinically meaningful frontiers in functional neurology today. As markerless gait analysis systems, dual-task protocols, and digital cognitive assessment platforms become increasingly available in clinical and research settings, practitioners who understand the neural substrates linking motor control to executive function, visuospatial processing, and response inhibition are better equipped to serve a population whose needs are growing rapidly.

This course presents original, IRB-approved research correlating Timed Up and Go phase metrics with specific cognitive domain scores in individuals with Parkinson's disease. Using a three-dimensional deep learning gait system and validated cognitive assessment tools including working memory tasks, mental rotation, and the Stroop incongruency paradigm, the research identifies statistically significant linear relationships between gait phase performance and cognitive function. Preliminary findings demonstrate moderate to strong correlations, particularly between turnaround time and visuospatial rotation, offering clinicians a new lens through which to interpret what gait tells us about what is happening upstream in the brain.

This course is designed for licensed healthcare clinicians with a foundation in neuroscience who work with or have an interest in Parkinson's disease, movement disorders, or neurorehabilitation. It is particularly relevant for functional neurologists, chiropractic neurologists, physical therapists, and occupational therapists seeking to integrate quantitative gait data with cognitive profiling in their clinical reasoning.

Dr. Joshua Lander brings a rigorous academic and clinical perspective to this content. His research is conducted through Sacred Heart University's Movement Lab in collaboration with the Parkinson's Body and Mind support group, whose founder recently joined the Michael J. Fox Foundation network. Dr. Lander's work represents the kind of practitioner-led inquiry that bridges frontline clinical observation with emerging evidence, giving clinicians access to data that is both scientifically grounded and immediately relevant to patient care.