Why People With Parkinson's Disease Fall: Visual Dependency, Perturbation Training, and What the Guidelines Recommend

Physical therapists and physical therapist assistants who work with adults with Parkinson’s disease in outpatient, home health, neurologic rehabilitation, and community wellness settings.

Licensed physical therapists and physical therapist assistants. Content is also relevant to occupational therapists, athletic trainers, and exercise professionals working with people with Parkinson’s disease.

Intended audience

Physical Therapy

Level

Intermediate

Delivery format

Online, asynchronous, self-paced course: interactive reading with audio or video, and a scored post-test.

Based on

This course is built on two peer-reviewed publications:

• Baggen RJ, Van Bladel A, Prins MR, Stappers J, Spildooren J, De Letter M, Bouche K, Cambier D, Maes L, Santens P. Visual perturbation training to reduce visual dependency in Parkinson’s disease: A randomized controlled trial. PLoS One. 2026;21(3):e0343223. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0343223
• Camicioli R, Morris ME, Pieruccini-Faria F, Montero-Odasso M, Son S, Buzaglo D, Hausdorff JM, Nieuwboer A. Prevention of Falls in Parkinson’s Disease: Guidelines and Gaps. Mov Disord Clin Pract. 2023;10(10):1459–1469. doi:10.1002/mdc3.13860

After completing this course, you will be able to:

1. Describe the mechanisms that the two source papers link to falls in Parkinson's disease, including reduced movement automaticity, freezing of gait, and increased visual dependency.
2. State what the randomized trial of visual perturbation training found for visual dependency, gait timing, and self-reported falls, and which outcomes did not change.
3. Distinguish what the global falls guidelines review recommends for fall prevention in Parkinson's disease from the gaps and cautions its authors explicitly acknowledge.

1. Start Here: How to Use This Course
2. Audio Overview (about 24 minutes)
3. Part One: Visual Dependency and Perturbation Training on the Treadmill
4. Who Took Part in the Visual Perturbation Trial
5. Inside the Training and the Visual Dependency Test
6. What Changed After Six Weeks of Training
7. Limits the Trial Authors Named Themselves
8. Part Two: Global Falls Guidance for Parkinson's Disease
9. Why People With Parkinson's Disease Fall: Risk Factors in the Guidelines Review
10. Exercise, Supervision, and Freezing of Gait
11. Multi-Domain Programs, Medications, and Barriers to Participation
12. Where the Guidelines Say the Evidence Runs Out
13. Bringing It Together: Reading One Trial Against the Guidance
14. Where the Two Papers Agree
15. Where the Two Papers Diverge
16. What This Could Mean at the Treatment Table
17. Key Takeaways
18. Post-Test and Course Evaluation

Quinn Millington, PT, DPT, ECS is the instructor of record: the licensed clinician who reviewed this course and signed off on it. The name and credentials print on the certificate.

Disclosures. This course was developed by The ConEd Solution, which has a financial interest in its sale. No outside funding or sponsorship was received. The instructor of record has no affiliation with the authors of the source publication or their institutions.

This course awards 1.0 contact hour (60 min). How you earn them:

1. Complete the course. Every lesson, in order.
2. Pass the post-test. Score 80% or higher. Retakes are allowed.
3. Complete the evaluation. A short form rating each learning objective and the course.
4. Download your certificate. It is issued on completion and stays available in My Account.

The episode time is its measured length. Reading, post-test and evaluation times are estimates.

This course is designed to satisfy the quality requirements state boards set for continuing education. Requirements vary by state, and confirming that a course fits your renewal is up to you. Each state’s own acceptance statement is in the credit panel on this page.

1. Baggen RJ, Van Bladel A, Prins MR, Stappers J, Spildooren J, De Letter M, Bouche K, Cambier D, Maes L, Santens P. Visual perturbation training to reduce visual dependency in Parkinson's disease: A randomized controlled trial. PLoS One. 2026;21(3):e0343223. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0343223
2. Camicioli R, Morris ME, Pieruccini-Faria F, Montero-Odasso M, Son S, Buzaglo D, Hausdorff JM, Nieuwboer A. Prevention of Falls in Parkinson's Disease: Guidelines and Gaps. Mov Disord Clin Pract. 2023;10(10):1459-1469. doi:10.1002/mdc3.13860