CUA
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NRH
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The Catholic University of America |
National Rehabilitation Hospital |
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Locomotion and Balance |
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We are interested in developing quantitative tools for evaluating how people walk, in terms of how stable they are, how much endurance they have, and the quality of their gait. We are also interested in looking at postural stability and kinesthetic sense exhibited during sitting, standing and walkinf. These studies will help us quantify the mechanisms of gait impairments and target therapeutic interventions for treating them. |
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Current Projects
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Development of advanced training features for ZeroG
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PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
Over the last three years, we have been developing a revolutionary over-ground body-weight support system called ZeroG. The system allows individuals to practice over-ground walking early after neurological injury and at high intensity levels in a safe, well-controlled manner.
We are now working on advanced algorithms that complement existing features. These include stair training, sit-to-stand, and other postural activities. The goal is to develop the most universal gait training system in the world that can be used to practice all aspects of gait, posture, and balance. |
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| PERSONNEL |
J. Hidler, i. Black, and D. Brennan |
| FUNDING SOURCE |
NIDRR and TATRC: USAMRMC |
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Locomotor characteristics during weight-supported treadmill walking
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PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
Treadmill training and body weight support (BWS) are used to achieve early onset of task-specific gait training in stroke and spinal cord injury patients. Treadmill-based training is often a preferred method of gait training over conventional overground gait training as it requires less physical space, provides a speed controlled environment, and accommodates gait cycle repetition. During body weight supported gait training, subjects are provided with a percentage of their body weight via an overhead harness system. Thus, rehabilitation can occur early after onset of the impairment with minimal weight bearing demands so that emphasis during training can be placed on achieving normal gait patterns.
The focus of gait analysis and gait restoration has typically been placed on the dynamics of the lower limbs. More recently, the importance of the role of the trunk to maintain posture and balance during locomotion has become evident. This research will provide a comprehensive study of the effect of body weight support on lower limb and trunk dynamics of healthy subjects while walking overground and on a treadmill.
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| PERSONNEL |
L. Bellini, S. Ryerson, and J. Hidler |
| FUNDING SOURCE |
USAMRMC |
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Loss of repositioning sense and postural control in people post stroke
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PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
Subjects: 21 subjects with chronic stroke and 21 age/sex matched non-neurologically impaired subjects Methods: Trunk repositioning error was assessed in sitting while the subject performed forward flexion movements. Subjects were instructed to move to a pre-specified flexion position during which trunk position was recorded from a tracking marker placed on the skin over the spinous process of T1. An electromagnetic movement analysis system, 'Flock of Birds', was used to track the position of the trunk and document errors. Analysis: Mean repositioning error in people post-stroke and non-neurologically impaired people was compared using a two-tailed independent t-test (p < 0.05). Spearman correlation coefficient analyses were used to determine the strength of the relationship between absolute repositioning error and clinical measures of balance (Berg Balance Test), postural control (Postural Assessment Scale for Stroke), and stroke severity (Fugl-Meyer) Results: There were significant differences in absolute repositioning error between stroke and controls groups in both the sagittal (p=0.0001) and transverse (p=0.012) planes. Mean sagittal plane values: post stroke 6.9º±3.1º, control 3.2º±1.8º; mean transverse plane values: post stroke 2.1º±1.3º, control 1.0º±0.6º. There was a significant correlation between sagittal plane absolute repositioning error and the Berg Balance score (r= -0.487, p = 0.029); transverse plane absolute repositioning error and Berg Balance scores (r = -0.484, p = 0.031); and transverse plane repositioning error and the PASS score (r = -0.518, p = 0.019). Conclusion: This study is an important first step towards a more complete understanding of the role of trunk repositioning sense in subjects with post stroke hemiparesis. Clinical Importance: Position sense, with an emphasis on sagittal and transverse movements should be integrated into intervention strategies to improve trunk postural control in sitting for patients post-stroke. |
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| PERSONNEL |
S. Ryerson, P. Lum, and J. Hidler |
| FUNDING SOURCE |
National Capitol Area Rehabilitation Research Network (NIH) and NRH |
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