scholarly journals The Kickstart Walk Assist System for improving balance and walking function in stroke survivors: a feasibility study

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiajia Yao ◽  
Takashi Sado ◽  
Wenli Wang ◽  
Jiawen Gao ◽  
Yichao Zhao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Low Cost ◽  
Weight Bearing ◽  
Analysis Data ◽  
Stroke Survivors ◽  
Clinical Trial Registry ◽  
Timed Up And Go ◽  
Double Support ◽  
Feedback Questionnaire ◽  
Willingness To Use ◽  
Exoskeleton Device

Abstract Background Compared with traditional physical therapy for stroke patients, lower extremity exoskeletons can provide patients with greater endurance and more repeatable and controllable training, which can reduce the therapeutic burden of the therapist. However, most exoskeletons are expensive, heavy or require active power to be operated. Therefore, a lighter, easy to wear, easy to operate, low-cost technology for stroke rehabilitation would be a welcome opportunity for stroke survivors, caregivers and clinicians. One such device is the Kickstart Walk Assist system and the purpose of this study was to determine feasibility of using this unpowered exoskeleton device in a sample of stroke survivors. Methods Thirty stroke survivors were enrolled in the study and experienced walking with the Kickstart exoskeleton device that provided spring-loaded assistance during gait. After 5 days of wearing the exoskeleton, participants were evaluated in the two states of wearing and not wearing the exoskeleton. Outcome measures included: (a) spatio-temporal gait measures, (b) balance measures and (c) exoskeleton-use feedback questionnaire. Results In comparison to not wearing the device, when participants wore the Kickstart walking system, weight bearing asymmetry was reduced. The time spent on the 10-m walk test was also reduced, but there was no difference in the timed-up-and-go test (TUGT). Gait analysis data showed reduction in step time and double support time. Stroke survivors were positive about the Kickstart walking system’s ability to improve their balance, speed and gait. In addition, their confidence level and willingness to use the device was also positive. Conclusions These findings show the feasibility of using the Kickstart walking system for improving walking performance in stroke survivors. Our future goal is to perform a longer duration study with more comprehensive pre- and post-testing in a larger sample of stroke survivors. Trial registration Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, ChiCTR2000032665. Registered 5 May 2020—Retrospectively registered, http://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.aspx?proj=53288

scholarly journals The Kickstart Walk Assist System for Improving Balance and Walking Function in Stroke Survivors: A Feasibility Study

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiajia Yao ◽  
Takashi Sado ◽  
Wenli Wang ◽  
Jiawen Gao ◽  
Yichao Zhao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Low Cost ◽  
Weight Bearing ◽  
Analysis Data ◽  
Stroke Survivors ◽  
Clinical Trial Registry ◽  
Timed Up And Go ◽  
Double Support ◽  
Feedback Questionnaire ◽  
Willingness To Use ◽  
Exoskeleton Device

Abstract Background: Compared with traditional physical therapy for stroke patients, lower extremity exoskeletons can provide patients with greater endurance and more repeatable and controllable training, which can reduce the therapeutic burden of the therapist. However, most exoskeletons are expensive, heavy or require active power to be operated. Therefore, a lighter, easy to wear, easy to operate, low-cost technology for gait rehabilitation in stroke survivors would be a welcome opportunity for stroke survivors, caregivers and clinicians. One such device is the Kickstart Walk Assist system and the purpose of this study was to determine feasibility of using this unpowered exoskeleton device in a sample of stroke survivors.Methods: Thirty stroke survivors were enrolled in the study and experienced walking with the Kickstart exoskeleton device that provided spring-loaded assistance during gait. After 5 days of wearing the exoskeleton, participants were evaluated in the two states of wearing and not wearing the exoskeleton. Outcome measures included: a) gait measures, b) balance measures and c) exoskeleton-use feedback questionnaire.Results: In comparison to not wearing the device, wearing the Kickstart Walk Assist system, weight bearing asymmetry was reduced. The time spent on the 10-meter walk test was reduced, but there was no difference in the timed-up-and-go test (TUGT). Gait analysis data showed reduction in step time and double support time. Stroke survivors were positive about the Kickstart Walk Assist system’s ability to improve their balance, speed and gait. In addition, their confidence level and willingness to use the device was also positive.Conclusions: These findings show the feasibility of using the Kickstart Walk Assist system for improving walking performance in stroke survivors. Our future goal is to perform a longer duration study with more comprehensive pre- and post-testing in a larger sample of stroke survivors.Trial registration: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, ChiCTR2000032665. Registered 5 May 2020 - Retrospectively registered, http://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.aspx?proj=53288

scholarly journals The Kickstart Walk Assist system for improving balance and walking function in stroke survivors: a feasibility study

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiajia Yao ◽  
Takashi Sado ◽  
Wenli Wang ◽  
Jiawen Gao ◽  
Yichao Zhao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Low Cost ◽  
Weight Bearing ◽  
Analysis Data ◽  
Stroke Survivors ◽  
Clinical Trial Registry ◽  
Timed Up And Go ◽  
Double Support ◽  
Feedback Questionnaire ◽  
Willingness To Use ◽  
Exoskeleton Device

Abstract Background: Compared with traditional physical therapy for stroke patients, lower extremity exoskeletons can provide patients with greater endurance and more repeatable and controllable training, which can reduce the therapeutic burden of the therapist. However, most exoskeletons are expensive, heavy or require active power to be operated. Therefore, a lighter, easy to wear, easy to operate, low-cost technology for stroke rehabilitation would be a welcome opportunity for stroke survivors, caregivers and clinicians. One such device is the Kickstart Walk Assist system and the purpose of this study was to determine feasibility of using this unpowered exoskeleton device in a sample of stroke survivors. Methods: Thirty stroke survivors were enrolled in the study and experienced walking with the Kickstart exoskeleton device that provided spring-loaded assistance during gait. After 5 days of wearing the exoskeleton, participants were evaluated in the two states of wearing and not wearing the exoskeleton. Outcome measures included: a) spatio-temporal gait measures, b) balance measures and c) exoskeleton-use feedback questionnaire. Results: In comparison to not wearing the device, when participants wore the Kickstart Walk Assist system, weight bearing asymmetry was reduced. The time spent on the 10-meter walk test was also reduced, but there was no difference in the timed-up-and-go test (TUGT). Gait analysis data showed reduction in step time and double support time. Stroke survivors were positive about the Kickstart Walk Assist system’s ability to improve their balance, speed and gait. In addition, their confidence level and willingness to use the device was also positive.Conclusions: These findings show the feasibility of using the Kickstart Walk Assist system for improving walking performance in stroke survivors. Our future goal is to perform a longer duration study with more comprehensive pre- and post-testing in a larger sample of stroke survivors. Trial registration: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, ChiCTR2000032665. Registered 5 May 2020 - Retrospectively registered, http://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.aspx?proj=53288

scholarly journals The Kickstart Walk Assist system for improving balance and walking function in stroke survivors: a feasibility study

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiajia Yao ◽  
Takashi Sado ◽  
Wenli Wang ◽  
Jiawen Gao ◽  
Yichao Zhao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Low Cost ◽  
Weight Bearing ◽  
Analysis Data ◽  
Stroke Survivors ◽  
Timed Up And Go ◽  
Double Support ◽  
Feedback Questionnaire ◽  
Willingness To Use ◽  
Double Support Time ◽  
Exoskeleton Device

Abstract Background: Compared with traditional physical therapy for stroke patients, lower extremity exoskeletons can provide patients with greater endurance and more repeatable and controllable training, which can reduce the therapeutic burden of the therapist. However, most exoskeletons are expensive, heavy or require active power to be operated. Therefore, a lighter, easy to wear, easy to operate, low-cost technology for gait rehabilitation in stroke survivors would be a welcome opportunity for stroke survivors, caregivers and clinicians. One such device is the Kickstart Walk Assist system and the purpose of this study was to determine feasibility of using this unpowered exoskeleton device in a sample of stroke survivors. Methods: Thirty stroke survivors were enrolled in the study and experienced walking with the Kickstart exoskeleton device that provided spring-loaded assistance during gait. After 5 days of wearing the exoskeleton, participants were evaluated in the two states of wearing and not wearing the exoskeleton. Outcome measures included: a) gait measures, b) balance measures and c) exoskeleton-use feedback questionnaire. Results: In comparison to not wearing the device, wearing the Kickstart Walk Assist system, weight bearing asymmetry was reduced. The time spent on the 10-meter walk test was reduced, but there was no difference in the timed-up-and-go test (TUGT). Gait analysis data showed reduction in step time and double support time. Stroke survivors were positive about the Kickstart Walk Assist system’s ability to improve their balance, speed and gait. In addition, their confidence level and willingness to use the device was also positive. Conclusions: These findings show the feasibility of using the Kickstart Walk Assist system for improving walking performance in stroke survivors. Our future goal is to perform a longer duration study with more comprehensive pre- and post-testing in a larger sample of stroke survivors.

scholarly journals Deep Convolutional and LSTM Networks on Multi-Channel Time Series Data for Gait Phase Recognition

Sensors ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 789
Author(s):  
David Kreuzer ◽  
Michael Munz
Keyword(s):  
Gait Analysis ◽  
Time Series Data ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Analysis Data ◽  
Gait Disorders ◽  
Human Gait ◽  
Series Data ◽  
Ageing Society ◽  
Time Motion ◽  
Gait Phase

With an ageing society comes the increased prevalence of gait disorders. The restriction of mobility leads to a considerable reduction in the quality of life, because associated falls increase morbidity and mortality. Consideration of gait analysis data often alters surgical recommendations. For that reason, the early and systematic diagnostic treatment of gait disorders can spare a lot of suffering. As modern gait analysis systems are, in most cases, still very costly, many patients are not privileged enough to have access to comparable therapies. Low-cost systems such as inertial measurement units (IMUs) still pose major challenges, but offer possibilities for automatic real-time motion analysis. In this paper, we present a new approach to reliably detect human gait phases, using IMUs and machine learning methods. This approach should form the foundation of a new medical device to be used for gait analysis. A model is presented combining deep 2D-convolutional and LSTM networks to perform a classification task; it predicts the current gait phase with an accuracy of over 92% on an unseen subject, differentiating between five different phases. In the course of the paper, different approaches to optimize the performance of the model are presented and evaluated.

scholarly journals Fully Automatic Fall Risk Assessment Based on a Fast Mobility Test

Sensors ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 1338
Author(s):  
Wojciech Tylman ◽  
Rafał Kotas ◽  
Marek Kamiński ◽  
Paweł Marciniak ◽  
Sebastian Woźniak ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Fall Risk ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Body Movement ◽  
Sole Source ◽  
Timed Up And Go ◽  
True Negative ◽  
Fall Risk Assessment ◽  
Positive Ratio ◽  
Mobility Test

This paper presents a fall risk assessment approach based on a fast mobility test, automatically evaluated using a low-cost, scalable system for the recording and analysis of body movement. This mobility test has never before been investigated as a sole source of data for fall risk assessment. It can be performed in a very limited space and needs only minimal additional equipment, yet provides large amounts of information, as the presented system can obtain much more data than traditional observation by capturing minute details regarding body movement. The readings are provided wirelessly by one to seven low-cost micro-electro-mechanical inertial measurement units attached to the subject’s body segments. Combined with a body model, these allow segment rotations and translations to be computed and for body movements to be recreated in software. The subject can then be automatically classified by an artificial neural network based on selected values in the test, and those with an elevated risk of falls can be identified. Results obtained from a group of 40 subjects of various ages, both healthy volunteers and patients with vestibular system impairment, are presented to demonstrate the combined capabilities of the test and system. Labelling of subjects as fallers and non-fallers was performed using an objective and precise sensory organization test; it is an important novelty as this approach to subject labelling has never before been used in the design and evaluation of fall risk assessment systems. The findings show a true-positive ratio of 85% and true-negative ratio of 63% for classifying subjects as fallers or non-fallers using the introduced fast mobility test, which are noticeably better than those obtained for the long-established Timed Up and Go test.

scholarly journals Environmental Attitudes and Willingness to Purchase Online—Classification Approach

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (15) ◽  
pp. 8592
Author(s):  
Marcin Gąsior
Keyword(s):  
Information Search ◽  
Environmental Attitudes ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Ease Of Use ◽  
Internet Users ◽  
Research Procedure ◽  
Willingness To Purchase ◽  
Willingness To Use ◽  
Competitive Pricing ◽  
Self Reporting Questionnaire

During the last several years, a tremendous increase in the popularity of online shopping has been observed. There are several possible reasons behind it, some of them, like competitive pricing, convenience or low cost of information search, considered to be extrinsic, others—like ease of use of this channel, pleasure related to it or willingness to reduce social interactions—intrinsic. The purpose of this research is to evaluate another factor, i.e., consumers’ environmental attitudes, in the perspective of their possible relation with the perception and willingness to use online and conventional shopping channels. In order to achieve this, a self-reporting questionnaire was developed and the data from a representative sample of 1000 Polish Internet users was gathered. The research procedure included cluster analysis, whose objective was to identify groups of customers with similar composition of environmental attitudes and next, a set of Kruskal–Wallis tests, aimed at identifying differences in opinions on channels between these clusters. The research proved that large groups of consumers with consistent sets of environmental attitudes exist and the scope of differences between such clusters is not reduced to a unidimensional, “positive–negative” continuum. Furthermore, there are significant differences between clusters in the declared willingness to use online and conventional shopping channels—groups more environmentally-oriented are more willing to purchase online and trust online shops, although they neither perceive conventional retail in a more negative way nor directly prefer online over conventional channels. The nature of such a phenomenon is open to explanation and interpretation, nevertheless, the research proves that environmental attitudes should be included in future models of consumers’ channel choice.

scholarly journals Gait Assistive Exoskeleton Device For Semi Paralyzed Stroke Survivors

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (5C) ◽  
pp. 1562-1566
Keyword(s):  
Time Management ◽  
The Body ◽  
Human Gait ◽  
Stroke Survivors ◽  
Walking Ability ◽  
Software System ◽  
Measuring Device ◽  
True Time ◽  
Exoskeleton Device

dominant human gait could be a dynamic and time crucial activity and so it needs a true time management surroundings. the most objective is to regain the walking ability for semi-paralyzed stroke affected patients and to assist them walk severally with none support. MEMS measuring device device senses the walking movements of the patient’s healthy leg. By victimisation these values as reference, microcontroller is programmed and interfaced to the motor fastened within the body covering device. Microcontroller is employed to manage the motor in line with the input given by the measuring device. Microcontroller is programmed victimisation PIC CCS Compiler software system. Associate in Nursing body covering device for semi paralytic patients is developed to exercise their muscles and to revive the sensation of walking in their legs at a way lower value than that is offered on the market nowadays

870 Early Weight Bearing In > 60 Years - Is It All A Dream?

2021 ◽  
Vol 108 (Supplement_2) ◽  
Author(s):  
S Kapoor ◽  
B Choudhry ◽  
M Ahmed
Keyword(s):  
Weight Bearing ◽  
Group Versus ◽  
Femoral Fractures ◽  
Fragility Fractures ◽  
Analysis Data ◽  
Lower Limb Injuries ◽  
Early Weight Bearing ◽  
Limb Injuries ◽  
Operative Fixation ◽  
Reoperation Rates

Abstract Background: Early weight bearing (EWB) is increasingly considered acceptable in surgically managed fractures. However, there are two different outlooks for rehabilitation. EWB in a biologically weak bone may lead to implant failure compared to EWB being beneficial for quicker recovery. We aim to review outcomes for EWB in surgically managed fragility fractures. Method: This was a retrospective analysis; data was collected from departmental records of operative fixation of lower limb injuries in patients above 60 years. We excluded patients who had procedures for proximal femoral fractures and polytrauma. We compared SF-12 scores, complications, and reoperation rates in those that were EWB to those that were at the conventional 6-week mark. Results: During a 6-month period from November 2019 to April 2020 we performed 60 operations. N = 30 surgeries were performed in EWB group versus 30 surgeries in late weight bearing group (LWB). The average physical and mental SF-12 score in EWB group was 44.82 and 56.36 compared to a SF-12 score of 44.51and 52.18 in LWB. Conclusions We found that the SF-12 scores were different despite EWB. There was no evidence of early complications in the EWB group. Therefore, we advocate EWB for group >60 who were known to have osteoporosis.

scholarly journals Functional Balance and Motor Impairment Correlations with Gait Parameters during Timed Up and Go Test across Three Attentional Loading Conditions in Stroke Survivors

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Haidzir Manaf ◽  
Maria Justine ◽  
Mazlifah Omar
Keyword(s):  
Negative Correlation ◽  
Dual Task ◽  
Motor Impairment ◽  
Rank Correlation ◽  
Stroke Survivors ◽  
Loading Conditions ◽  
Timed Up And Go ◽  
Strong Negative Correlation ◽  
Functional Balance ◽  
Gait Parameters

The aim of this study was to determine whether stroke survivor’s gait performance during dual-task Timed Up and Go (TUG) test is correlated with the level of functional balance and motor impairment. Thirty stroke survivors (22 men, 8 women) were recruited for this study. The level of functional balance (Berg Balance Scale) and motor impairment (Fugl-Meyer assessment lower extremity) were assessed prior to the TUG test. TUG test was conducted under three attentional loading conditions (single, dual motor, and dual-cognitive). The time and number of steps were used to quantify gait parameters. The Spearmen’s rank correlation coefficient was used to evaluate the relationship between these variables. There was moderate to strong negative correlation between functional balance and gait parameters (range −0.53 to −0.73,P<0.05). There was a weak negative correlation observed between the time taken to complete the single task and motor impairment (rs=-0.43;P=0.02) dual motor task and motor impairment (rs=-0.41;P=0.02). However, there were no significant correlations between lower limb motor impairment and the number of steps in all conditions. These findings suggest that functional balance may be an influential domain of successful dual-task TUG in stroke.

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