Markedly Impaired Bilateral Coordination of Gait in Post Stroke Patients: Is This Deficit Distinct From Asymmetry? A Cohort Study
By Meijer, Ronald; Plotnik, Meir; Zwaaftink, Esther Groot; van Lummel, Rob C.; Ainsworth, Erik; Martina, Juan D.; Hausdorff, Jeffrey M.; Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation, Vol. 8, No. 23Publication Date: May 5, 2011
Study investigated the relationship between bilateral coordination of gait (BCG) and gait asymmetry (GA) in patients with hemiparesis due to stroke, and examined the potential clinical utility of measures based on BCG. Participants were 6 male and 6 female ambulatory stroke patients with a mean age of 55 years, and 12 age-matched healthy adults. Wearing a DynaPort MiniMod tri-axial piezo-resistive accelerometer, participants walked back and forth for 2 minutes along a straight path in a hall at a comfortable walking speed. Gait speed, GA, and aspects of BCG were determined. Bilateral coordination measures included (1) the left-right stepping phase for each stride cycle; (2) phase generation consistency, calculated as the coefficient of variation of the mean of the stride cycle for each participant; (3) phase generation accuracy, calculated as the mean value of the series of absolute differences between the phase at each stride and 180 degrees; and (4) Phase Coordination Index (PCI), a combination of accuracy and consistency of the phase generation. Group differences were observed for gait speed, 1.1 versus 1.7 meters per second for patients and controls, respectively; GA, 26.3 versus 5.5, correspondingly; and PCI, 19.5 versus 6.2, correspondingly. A significant correlation between GA and PCI was seen in the stroke patients but not in the control group. Results showed that in ambulatory post-stroke patients the gait coordination properties GA and PCI are markedly impaired. A measurement approach based on body-fixed sensors may provide sensitive markers that can be used for clinical assessment and for enhancing rehabilitation targeting in these patients.
Assistive Products Discussed: DYNAPORT MOVE MONITOR
Published by: BioMed Central Ltd (Website:http://www.biomedcentral.com)
Link to text: http://www.jneuroengrehab.com/content/8/1/23
