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SCIENTIFIC LITERATURE · MED

Self-delivered arousal-heightening stimuli to improve mobility in persons with parkinsonism: A case series.

J Parkinsons Dis · 2025-12-22

DOI: 10.1177/1877718x251409029PMID: 41428456

Open accessJournal Article; Case Reports; case-reportOriginal source ↗

Research overview

The text below is the source article’s original abstract under a verified reuse license. cc by

Classic accounts of 'kinesia paradoxa' typically involve highly stressful or life-threatening situations, which are difficult to translate to daily life. Here, we describe two patients with parkinsonism who successfully apply self-induced 'arousal-heightening' strategies to improve their mobility. The first patient uses an electronically modified fly swatter to self-deliver a mild electrical shock, enabling him to overcome episodes of freezing of gait. The second patient uses his phone's alarm to alert himself, resulting in improved sit-to-stand transfer. These observations suggest that self-induced arousal-heightening strategies represent a hitherto underexplored compensatory strategy that could help to improve mobility in some individuals with parkinsonism.Plain language summary titleHelping people with Parkinson's disease move more easily using alertness tricks.

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