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Cholinergic deficiency has long been thought to be a large contributor to walking problems in Parkinson disease (PD). Researchers conducted the phase II, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled ReSPonD trial to test whether the acetylcholinesterase inhibitor rivastigmine can improve gait variability, a factor in risk for falls. Participants were nondemented patients from both community and hospital settings who had fallen at least once in the prior year but could walk unassisted for 18 meters. Rivastigmine or a placebo pill was titrated to 12 mg per day over 12 weeks, and then continued for a total of 32 weeks. The primary outcome variable was the difference in step-time variability in three conditions: normal walking, walking during a…