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Tom, Thank you for your comments on falling. I read your original postings linking falling to visual perception and wondered then as now on what you based your theory. My experience of falling as a direct consequence of having PD bears such little resemblance to the examples you provide as to make me wonder if we are talking about the same thing. For example you speak of falling only when 'on' because "because while "off" gait initiation problems prevent one from walking with any volitional displacement of centre of gravity". Most of my falls have occurred when 'off'. That's the only time I 'festinate'. When I'm 'on' all of this is academic as my stride is normal without conscious effort on my part. I have fallen when 'on' - as a result of loosing control of my legs due to extreme dyskinesia, but this is not a problem since my pallidotomy. You also speak of walking improving if one closes one's eyes and/or places one's hands behind one's back. Once again this is in direct opposition to my actual experience. In practice I find the relationship between walking and arm swinging to be so close that I can regulate my stride length and speed by changing my arm swing. I have no explanation as to why I find it easier to control my arms than my legs but I do. Tom, even as I doubt your conclusions, I applaud your efforts to make some sense in this crazy disease. Dennis. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Dennis Greene 48/11 [log in to unmask] http://members.networx.net.au/~dennisg/ +++++++++++++++++++++++++++