scholarly journals Split-Belt Treadmill Adaptation Transfers to Overground Walking in Persons Poststroke

2009 ◽  
Vol 23 (7) ◽  
pp. 735-744 ◽  
Author(s):  
Darcy S. Reisman ◽  
Robert Wityk ◽  
Kenneth Silver ◽  
Amy J. Bastian

Background and Objective. Following stroke, subjects retain the ability to adapt interlimb symmetry on the split-belt treadmill. Critical to advancing our understanding of locomotor adaptation and its usefulness in rehabilitation is discerning whether adaptive effects observed on a treadmill transfer to walking over ground. We examined whether aftereffects following split-belt treadmill adaptation transfer to overground walking in healthy persons and those poststroke. Methods. Eleven poststroke and 11 age-matched and gender-matched healthy subjects walked over ground before and after walking on a split-belt treadmill. Adaptation and aftereffects in step length and double support time were calculated. Results. Both groups demonstrated partial transfer of the aftereffects observed on the treadmill ( P < .001) to overground walking ( P < .05), but the transfer was more robust in the subjects poststroke ( P < .05). The subjects with baseline asymmetry after stroke improved in asymmetry of step length and double limb support ( P = .06). Conclusions. The partial transfer of aftereffects to overground walking suggests that some shared neural circuits that control locomotion for different environmental contexts are adapted during split-belt treadmill walking. The larger adaptation transfer from the treadmill to overground walking in the stroke survivors may be due to difficulty adjusting their walking pattern to changing environmental demands. Such difficulties with context switching have been considered detrimental to function poststroke. However, we propose that the persistence of improved symmetry when changing context to overground walking could be used to advantage in poststroke rehabilitation.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Justyna Michalska ◽  
Anna Kamieniarz ◽  
Grzegorz Sobota ◽  
Magdalena Stania ◽  
Grzegorz Juras ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Aging, being a natural process, involves many functional and structural changes within the body. Identifying the age-related postural changes will provide insight into the role of aging on postural control during locomotion. The aim of this study was to identify age-related postural changes during a transitional task under different conditions.Methods: Sixty healthy females divided into three age groups: A (50-60 y/o), B (60-70 y/o), and C (70-80 y/o). The transitional task was measured by two force platforms. The procedure consisted of three phases: quiet standing, transfer onto a second platform, and quiet standing on the second platform. Four different conditions were applied: unperturbed transfer, obstacle crossing, step-up, and step-down. Double-support time, transit time, and stability time before and after the step task were analyzed.Results: The transit time was longer by 30% for subjects over 70 y/o. The double-support time was longer by 11% among adults 60-70 y/o, while in people over 70 y/o it was longer by almost 50% compared to the 50-60 y/o subjects. The stability time before the transitional task was longer by 17% among adults over 60 y/o compared to middle-age subjects. The stability times before and after the transitional task were longer for adults in the 50-60 y/o category. Conclusion: The proposed procedure is adequate for assessing age-related changes in postural control while undergoing a transitional task. An analysis of the double-support time and stability time before and after the step task enabled the detection of early signs of balance changes in middle-age adults. Independent of age, the transitional task parameters changed with the increasing difficulty of the tasks.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Justyna Michalska ◽  
Anna Kamieniarz ◽  
Grzegorz Sobota ◽  
Magdalena Stania ◽  
Grzegorz Juras ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Aging, being a natural process, involves many functional and structural changes within the body. Identifying the age-related postural changes will provide insight into the role of aging on postural control during locomotion. The aim of this study was to identify age-related postural changes during a transitional task under different conditions.Methods: Sixty healthy females divided into three age groups: A (50-60 y/o), B (60-70 y/o), and C (70-80 y/o). The transitional task was measured by two force platforms. The procedure consisted of three phases: quiet standing, transfer onto a second platform, and quiet standing on the second platform. Four different conditions were applied: unperturbed transfer, obstacle crossing, step-up, and step-down. Double-support time, transit time, and stability time before and after the step task were analyzed.Results: The transit time was longer by 30% for subjects over 70 y/o. The double-support time was longer by 11% among adults 60-70 y/o, while in people over 70 y/o it was longer by almost 50% compared to the 50-60 y/o subjects. The stability time before the transitional task was longer by 17% among adults over 60 y/o compared to middle-age subjects. The stability times before and after the transitional task were longer for adults in the 50-60 y/o category. Conclusion: The proposed procedure is adequate for assessing age-related changes in postural control while undergoing a transitional task. An analysis of the double-support time and stability time before and after the step task enabled the detection of early signs of balance changes in middle-age adults. Independent of age, the transitional task parameters changed with the increasing difficulty of the tasks.


2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S658-S658
Author(s):  
Farahnaz Fallahtafti ◽  
Hyeon Jung Kim ◽  
Jennifer M Yentes ◽  
Dawn Venema ◽  
Julie Blaskewicz Boron

Abstract Instances where multiple tasks are completed simultaneously are considered high cognitive load situations (HCLS, also called dual-task), potentially affecting gait performance in older adults. Walking while talking is a common HCLS that requires additional cognitive resources. Optic flow (OF) provides visual information about speed and direction of self-motion, and thus, may ameliorate gait deficits under HCLS. This study aimed to identify the effect of HCLS, as well as OF, on gait performance in older adults. The HCLS included walking while talking on the phone, compared to walking alone. Fifteen older adults (70.86±4.7yrs) underwent four experimental conditions: walking alone with(1) and without OF(2), as well as walking while talking with(3) and without OF(4). Step width, step length, and double support time were measured and examined with 2(HCLS) x 2(OF) repeated-measures ANOVAs. There was a main effect of OF; step width was narrower with OF compared to without OF (p=0.048). For step length, there was a significant interaction between HCLS and OF (p=0.045). Without OF, there were no differences in step length; however, with OF step length was significantly longer when walking alone compared to when walking while talking (p=0.002). Double support time was not affected by HCLS or OF. Considering younger adults have longer and narrower steps compared to older adults, OF may have enhanced step width regardless of HCLS and step length when walking only. Using OF in training programs designed for older adults, could be a potential factor to improve spatial gait function, more so in the mediolateral direction.


2011 ◽  
Vol 105 (5) ◽  
pp. 2195-2203 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristin E. Musselman ◽  
Susan K. Patrick ◽  
Erin V. L. Vasudevan ◽  
Amy J. Bastian ◽  
Jaynie F. Yang

Children show precocious ability in the learning of languages; is this the case with motor learning? We used split-belt walking to probe motor adaptation (a form of motor learning) in children. Data from 27 children (ages 8–36 mo) were compared with those from 10 adults. Children walked with the treadmill belts at the same speed (tied belt), followed by walking with the belts moving at different speeds (split belt) for 8–10 min, followed again by tied-belt walking (postsplit). Initial asymmetries in temporal coordination (i.e., double support time) induced by split-belt walking were slowly reduced, with most children showing an aftereffect (i.e., asymmetry in the opposite direction to the initial) in the early postsplit period, indicative of learning. In contrast, asymmetries in spatial coordination (i.e., center of oscillation) persisted during split-belt walking and no aftereffect was seen. Step length, a measure of both spatial and temporal coordination, showed intermediate effects. The time course of learning in double support and step length was slower in children than in adults. Moreover, there was a significant negative correlation between the size of the initial asymmetry during early split-belt walking (called error) and the aftereffect for step length. Hence, children may have more difficulty learning when the errors are large. The findings further suggest that the mechanisms controlling temporal and spatial adaptation are different and mature at different times.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Justyna Michalska ◽  
Anna Kamieniarz ◽  
Grzegorz Sobota ◽  
Magdalena Stania ◽  
Grzegorz Juras ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Aging, being a natural process, involves many functional and structural changes within the body. Identifying the age-related postural changes will provide insight into the role of aging on postural control during locomotion. The aim of this study was to identify age-related postural changes during a transitional task under different conditions. Methods Sixty healthy females divided into three age groups: A (50-60 y/o), B (60-70 y/o), and C (70-80 y/o). The transitional task was measured by two force platforms. The procedure consisted of three phases: quiet standing, transfer onto a second platform, and quiet standing on the second platform. Four different conditions were applied: unperturbed transfer, obstacle crossing, step-up, and step-down. Double-support time, transit time, and stability time before and after the step task were analyzed. Results The transit time was longer by 30% for subjects over 70 y/o. The double-support time was longer by 11% among adults 60-70 y/o, while in people over 70 y/o it was longer by almost 50% compared to the 50-60 y/o subjects. The stability time before the transitional task was longer by 17% among adults over 60 y/o compared to middle-age subjects. The stability times before and after the transitional task were longer for adults in the 50-60 y/o category. Conclusion The proposed procedure is adequate for assessing age-related changes in postural control while undergoing a transitional task. An analysis of the double-support time and stability time before and after the step task enabled the detection of early signs of balance changes in middle-age adults. Independent of age, the transitional task parameters changed with the increasing difficulty of the tasks.


Gerontology ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Lay Khoon Lau ◽  
Jagadish Ullal Mallya ◽  
Wei Jun Benedict Pang ◽  
Kexun Kenneth Chen ◽  
Khalid bin Abdul Jabbar ◽  
...  

Background: Studies indicate that physiological and cognitive aging are causally related and functionally interdependent. However, the relative contribution of physiological factors and cognition to dual-task costs (DTC) of gait parameters has not been well studied. In this cross-sectional study, we examined the trajectory of DTC of gait parameters across the adult age spectrum for both sexes and identified the contributions of physical and cognitive performance to DTC of gait. Methods: A total of 492 community-dwelling adults, aged 21–90 years, were randomly recruited into the study. Participants were divided into 7 age groups, with 10-year age range for each group. Demographic data, height, body mass, education level, and information on comorbidities were recorded. Cognition was measured using the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status. Physical performance included visual contrast sensitivity, postural sway, hand reaction time, handgrip strength, knee extensor strength, and single-task and dual-task gait assessments. Stepwise multivariable regression was used to examine the association between physical and cognitive performance with DTC of gait parameters. Results: Women were found to have significantly higher DTC of gait speed (p = 0.01), cadence (p < 0.01), and double support time (p < 0.01) than men. However, significant aging effect on DTC of gait speed (p = 0.01), step length (p = 0.01), and double support time (p = 0.01) was observed in men but not in women. Immediate memory was the primary determinant for the DTC of gait speed (β = −0.25, p < 0.01), step length (β = −0.22, p < 0.01), and cadence (β = −0.15, p = 0.03) in men. Besides immediate memory, postural sway (β = −0.13, p = 0.03) and hand reaction (β = 0.14, p = 0.02) were also significantly associated with DTC of step length and cadence, respectively, in women. Conclusion: There were sex differences in the amplitude and trajectories of DTC of gait parameters. The DTC increased with age in men but not in women. Immediate memory was the primary determinant of DTC of gait parameters in men while immediate memory, postural sway, and reaction time were associated with DTC of gait in women. Future studies should investigate the clinical implications of the sex differences in the DTC with fall risks.


2020 ◽  
Vol 110 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Soul Lee ◽  
Miaomiao Xu ◽  
Lin Wang ◽  
Jing Xian Li

Background Wearing high-heeled shoes and carrying asymmetrical loads are common in ladies. However, knowledge of the effects of wearing high-heeled shoes on balance and lower-extremity biomechanics in experienced and novice high-heeled shoe wearers is lacking. The study aims to examine the effects of high-heeled shoes and asymmetrical load carrying on joint kinematics and kinetics of the lower extremity during walking as well as balance in experienced and novice high-heeled shoe wearers. Methods Fifteen experienced and 15 novice high-heeled shoes wearers participated in this study. Using a motion analysis system, kinematic and kinetic data were collected while participants walked at their preferred speed in six conditions created from two types of shoes (9-cm high-heeled shoes and flat-heeled shoes) and three weights of symmetrical load (0%, 5%, and 10% of body weight). Stride time and length, step length, double support time, peak joint angles, and joint moments in a sagittal plane were analyzed. Single-leg and tandem-leg stance tests were performed in each condition. Results Compared with experienced high-heeled shoe wearers, novice high-heeled shoe wearers had longer double support time and shorter stride length during 10% of body weight asymmetrical load walking; walked with greater knee flexion angle, smaller knee range of motion, and smaller ankle dorsiflexor moment; and scored lower in the single-leg and tandem-leg stance tests. Conclusions Novice high-heeled shoe wearers need to alter their lower-limb joint angles and moments to adjust to high-heeled shoes to achieve balance during gait while carrying an asymmetrical load.


2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (3) ◽  
pp. 242-247
Author(s):  
Sun-Young Ha ◽  
Yun-Hee Sung

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the changes of electroencephalography (EEG) activity on balance and gait while physiotherapy in stroke patients.METHODS: General physiotherapy was applied to 18 stroke patients for 30 minutes per session, 5 times a week, for a total 4 weeks. EEG measured for one week while intervention. Based on the attention score, group was classified into high and low attention groups. We used functional reaching test to measure dynamic balance and GAITRite to measure spatiotemporal variables during gait.RESULTS: In the high attention group, the sensorimotor rhythm wave was high and the dynamic balance was significantly increased (p<.05). There were significant differences in stance time, single support time, and double support time among temporal variables (p<.05). There were significant differences in step length, stride length, swing % of cycle, stance % of cycle, single support % of cycle, and double support % of cycle among the spatial gait variables (p<.05).CONCLUSIONS: The high attention during physiotherapy helps improvement of balance and gait ability in stroke patients, therefore, it may be considered in intervention.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Justyna Michalska ◽  
Anna Kamieniarz ◽  
Grzegorz Sobota ◽  
Magdalena Stania ◽  
Grzegorz Juras ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Aging, being a natural process, involves many functional and structural changes within the body. Identifying the onset of age-related postural changes will provide insight into the role of aging on postural control during locomotion. The aim of this study was to identify age-related postural changes during a transitional task under different conditions. Methods Sixty healthy females divided into three age groups: A (50–60 y/o), B (60–70 y/o), and C (70–80 y/o). The transitional task was measured by two force platforms. The procedure consisted of three phases: quiet standing, transfer onto a second platform, and quiet standing on the second platform. Four different conditions were applied: unperturbed transfer, obstacle crossing, step-up, and step-down. Double-support time, transit time, and stability time before and after the step task were analyzed. Results The transit time was longer by 30% for subjects over 70 y/o. The double-support time was longer by 11% among adults 60–70 y/o, while in people over 70 y/o it was longer by almost 50% compared to the 50–60 y/o subjects. The stability time before the transitional task was longer by 17% among adults over 60 y/o compared to middle-age subjects. The stability times before and after the transitional task were longer for adults in the 50–60 y/o category. Conclusion The proposed procedure is adequate for assessing age-related changes in postural control while undergoing a transitional task. An analysis of the double-support time and stability time before and after the step task enabled the detection of early signs of balance changes in middle-age adults. Independent of age, the transitional task parameters changed with the increasing difficulty of the tasks.


Sensors ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (12) ◽  
pp. 4224 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martín Martínez ◽  
Federico Villagra ◽  
Juan Castellote ◽  
María Pastor

The aim of this study is to compare the properties of free-walking at a natural pace between mild Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients during the ON-clinical status and two control groups. In-shoe pressure-sensitive insoles were used to quantify the temporal and force characteristics of a 5-min free-walking in 11 PD patients, in 16 young healthy controls, and in 12 age-matched healthy controls. Inferential statistics analyses were performed on the kinematic and kinetic parameters to compare groups’ performances, whereas feature selection analyses and automatic classification were used to identify the signature of parkinsonian gait and to assess the performance of group classification, respectively. Compared to healthy subjects, the PD patients’ gait pattern presented significant differences in kinematic parameters associated with bilateral coordination but not in kinetics. Specifically, patients showed an increased variability in double support time, greater gait asymmetry and phase deviation, and also poorer phase coordination. Feature selection analyses based on the ReliefF algorithm on the differential parameters in PD patients revealed an effect of the clinical status, especially true in double support time variability and gait asymmetry. Automatic classification of PD patients, young and senior subjects confirmed that kinematic predictors produced a slightly better classification performance than kinetic predictors. Overall, classification accuracy of groups with a linear discriminant model which included the whole set of features (i.e., demographics and parameters extracted from the sensors) was 64.1%.


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