García-Morales V, González-Fernández J, Prieto-Tedejo R, Velasco-Palacios L, Cubo-Delgado E
Servicio de Neurología, Hospital General Yagüe, Complejo Asistencial de Burgos, Burgos, España.
Rev Neurol. 2009 Jan 23;48 Suppl 1:S71-8.
Human beings are characterised by the specialisation of certain functions, such as language or the ability to walk. We have achieved this capacity thanks to the development of multiple connections among different areas of the central and peripheral nervous system, together with adaptation of the musculoskeletal system. These are all essential to be able to walk correctly and to keep our balance.
Gait disorders are currently receiving a great deal of attention in neurology departments, and this fact is directly related to the phenomenon of the ageing of the population, since it is a pathology that is particularly prevalent among the elderly. One of the fundamental mainstays in the study of these disorders is being able to distinguish between the different clinical gait patterns and their classification according to the neural system that has been damaged. Observation, the use of different manoeuvres in the examination and the search for other associated clinical signs all enable us reach a good diagnostic approximation, which will later be confirmed with more specific complementary techniques.
From the therapeutic point of view, an early multidisciplinary intervention by the neurologist, primary care, specialists in rehabilitation and physiotherapists improves patients' quality of life and lowers the rate of associated comorbidity and mortality, which also results in a reduction in spending on community health resources.
人类具有某些功能的专业化特征，如语言或行走能力。由于中枢和周围神经系统不同区域之间多种连接的发展，以及肌肉骨骼系统的适应性，我们才具备了这种能力。这些对于能够正确行走和保持平衡都是必不可少的。
步态障碍目前在神经科受到了极大关注，这一事实与人口老龄化现象直接相关，因为它是一种在老年人中特别普遍的病症。研究这些障碍的一个基本支柱是能够区分不同的临床步态模式，并根据受损的神经系统对其进行分类。观察、在检查中使用不同的手法以及寻找其他相关的临床体征，都能使我们得出一个良好的诊断近似值，随后通过更具体的辅助技术加以证实。
从治疗角度来看，神经科医生、初级保健医生、康复专家和物理治疗师的早期多学科干预可提高患者的生活质量，降低相关合并症和死亡率，这也会减少社区卫生资源的支出。
