From the Guidelines
The Freezing of Gait Questionnaire (FOG-Q) is a clinical assessment tool used to evaluate freezing episodes in patients with Parkinson's disease and other parkinsonian syndromes, such as dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) 1. The FOG-Q typically consists of a series of questions that assess the severity and impact of freezing of gait, which is when patients temporarily feel as if their feet are glued to the floor while walking.
- Healthcare providers administer this questionnaire during clinical evaluations to measure the frequency and severity of freezing episodes, their duration, and how they affect daily activities like walking in narrow spaces or turning.
- Patients respond to questions on a scale, with higher scores indicating more severe freezing problems.
- The questionnaire helps clinicians track disease progression and treatment effectiveness over time, and is often used in conjunction with other assessment tools, such as the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) and the Movement Disorders Society Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (MDS-UPDRS) 1. If you're experiencing freezing of gait symptoms, consult with a neurologist who specializes in movement disorders for proper assessment and management strategies, which might include medication adjustments, physical therapy, or assistive devices.
- The use of technology-based objective measures (TOMs) may also be considered to monitor and assess freezing of gait episodes, although further validation of these tools is needed 1.
- Additionally, the evaluation of quality of life and caregiver burden is important in the management of patients with DLB and freezing of gait, and tools such as the Quality of Life in Alzheimer’s Disease Scale (QOL-AD) and the Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI) may be used 1.
From the Research
Definition and Purpose of the Freezing of Gait Questionnaire (FOG-Q)
- The Freezing of Gait Questionnaire (FOG-Q) is a validated measure used to evaluate the severity and impact of freezing of gait on patients' daily life 2.
- It is used as a primary outcome measure to assess the effectiveness of treatments for freezing of gait in patients with Parkinson's disease 2.
Types of Freezing of Gait Questionnaires
- There are different versions of the FOG-Q, including the New Freezing of Gait Questionnaire (NFOG-Q) 3.
- The NFOG-Q has been translated and culturally adapted into different languages, such as Italian (NFOG-Q-IT) 3.
Psychometric Properties of the FOG-Q
- The Italian version of the NFOG-Q (NFOG-Q-IT) has been found to have high internal consistency (Cronbach's α = 0.859) 3.
- The NFOG-Q-IT has been shown to be a valuable and reliable tool for assessing FOG symptoms, duration, and frequency in PD subjects 3.
- The NFOG-Q-IT has significant correlations with other clinical measures, such as the Modified Hoehn-Yahr Scale (M-H&Y) and the Movement Disorder Society-Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (MDS-UPDRS) 3.
Use of the FOG-Q in Clinical Studies
- The FOG-Q has been used as an outcome measure in studies evaluating the effectiveness of physiotherapy 2 and deep brain stimulation 4 in treating freezing of gait in patients with Parkinson's disease.
- The FOG-Q has been used to assess the severity and impact of freezing of gait in patients with Parkinson's disease, and to evaluate the effectiveness of different treatments in improving FOG symptoms 2, 4.