View clinical trials related to Gait Disorders, Neurologic.
Filter by:Adaptive gait assessements will be evaluated as a potential new marker for tracking locomotor recovery throughout rehabilitation of spinal cord injury subjects. To this end, controls, subacute and chronic patients will be assessed at two timepoints with 3 month standard rehabilitation inbetween. The specific assessments will require the participant to acitvely modulate their gait pattern to fullfill specific task constraints. Their performance will be assessed via 3D kinematics, kinetics and EMG and these measures will be used to describe the adaptive capacity that the patient retains. Sensitivity and specificity of these markers will be determined. With more sensitive descriptors of gait function and quality, locomotor rehabilitation for SCI can be better designed and smaller effects can be accurately measured.
This study evaluates the effects of an isokinetic fatigue protocol of the quadriceps on the amount of co-contractions of this last with the hamstrings during a maximal isometric flexion movement in hemiparetic stroke patients. The effect of such a protocol on gait parameters and spasticity of the quadriceps will be evaluated also.
The aging population is at an exceptionally high risk of debilitating falls, contributing significantly to reduced independence and quality of life. It remains extremely challenging to screen for falls risk, and programs designed to mitigate falls risk have only modestly influenced the sizeable portion of the aging population experiencing one or more falls annually. Balance control in standing and walking depends on integrating reliable sensory feedback and on planning and executing appropriate motor responses. Walking balance control is especially dynamic, requiring active and coordinated adjustments in posture (i.e., trunk stabilization) and foot placement from step to step. Accordingly, using a custom, immersive virtual environment, the investigators have shown that sensory (i.e., optical flow) perturbations, especially when applied during walking, elicit strong and persistent motor responses to preserve balance. Exciting pilot data suggest that these motor responses are remarkably more prevalent in old age, presumably governed by an increased reliance on vision for balance control. Additional pilot data suggest that prolonged exposure to these perturbations may effectively condition successful balance control strategies. Founded on these recent discoveries, and leveraging the increase reliance on vision for balance control in old age, the investigators stand at the forefront of a potentially transformative new approach for more effectively identifying and mitigating age-related falls risk. The investigator's overarching hypothesis is that optical flow perturbations, particularly when applied during walking, can effectively identify balance deficits due to aging and falls history and can subsequently condition the neuromechanics of successful balance control via training.
The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of gait training with the new wearable hip assist robot developed by Samsung Advance Institute of Technology (Samsung Electronics Co, Ltd, Korea) in patients with chronic stroke.
The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of gait training with the new wearable hip assist robot developed by Samsung Advance Institute of Technology (Samsung Electronics Co, Ltd, Korea) in elderly adults.
This study evaluates the effect of the need to void on parkinsonian gait
This study aims to look at how changes to a person's functional electrical stimulation might change how they walk. Functional electrical stimulation (FES) is commonly used to help people with foot drop from upper motor neurone conditions such as stroke or multiple sclerosis. This group of people have muscle weakness which makes it difficult to lift the foot, which causes trips and falls. FES reduces foot drop by using a portable device to apply short electrical pulses to the nerve which lifts the foot. The FES device stimulates this nerve only during the swing phase, when the foot is off the floor. Typically this is achieved by using a foot-switch, which detects when the heel leaves the floor. Stimulation begins a short interval of time after the heel leaves the floor, ramps up from zero to set stimulation for the individual, and at another period of time after the heel hits the floor, stimulation ramps down from set amount to zero. There are four time intervals described here which can be varied by the clinician on the device:- - Delay (the time between heel lift and the start of stimulation) - Ramp up (the time for stimulation to reach full strength) - Extension (the time between heel strike and the ramp down) - Ramp down (the time for stimulation to reach zero from full strength) These intervals are usually set by experienced clinicians using a qualitative assessment of the patient's walking and trial-and-error. A literature review has found no published studies which compare walking with different timing. This knowledge would be useful for clinicians, who could use this information as a starting point in finding the best timing parameters for each patient.
Hypothesis/Specific Aims: The purpose of this research study is to determine if using an exoskeleton during stair climbing training will result in an improved ability to walk and climb stairs in individuals affected by recent stroke as compared to stair climbing training without an exoskeleton.
This project aims to determine the effects of the HiBalance program on neuroplastic changes in people with mild to moderate Parkinson´s disease. The main hypothesis is that highly challenging exercise will lead to greater gait and balance ability, increased levels of physical activity and an improved health related quality of life. The investigators further hypothesize that neuroplasticity changes will be seen in corresponding areas of the brain, neuropsychological changes on cognitive test measures, and that exercise will inhibit the degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in the brain through the mediation of neurotrophic factors.
Parkinson disease (PD) is a progressive neurological disease that results in characteristic gait dysfunction. Gait problems include decreased velocity, decreased stride length, difficulty with initiation of gait, postural stability problems and alteration in joint kinematics.1 In this typically older patient population, these gait deviations affect their participation in household and community activities. The standard of care is currently focused on therapeutic exercise and cueing of various types (visual, auditory, verbal). Current interventions have not been demonstrated to markedly improve gait kinematics, so there is a need to identify interventions that could improve gait performance in this population. Lower extremity bracing is a common and well-established intervention for gait dysfunction with other populations, including stroke and brain injury. The braces allow for improved stability, sensory feedback, and consistent tactile cues to allow patients to have the best gait mechanics with each step. It is reasonable to hypothesize that appropriate bracing may have the potential to improve gait function and kinematics in PD since these patient often have gastroc-soleus weakness. Data from our early pilot studies indicates that bracing individuals with PD can positively impact their mobility. This includes improvements in velocity, step length, and dynamic balance. Additional data supported an upward trend in quality of life.