Abstract
BackgroundPrevious research has shown that body weight support (BWS) has the potential to improve gait speed for individuals post-stroke. However, body weight support also reduces the optimal walking speed at which energy use is minimized over the gait cycle indicating that BWS should reduce walking speed capability.MethodsNonimpaired subjects and subjects post-stroke walked at a self-selected speed over a 15 m walkway. Body weight support (BWS) was provided to subjects at 0%, 10%, 20%, 30%, and 40% of the subject's weight while they walked overground using a robotic body weight support system. Gait speed, cadence, and average step length were calculated for each subject using recorded data on their time to walk 10 m and the number of steps taken.ResultsWhen subjected to greater levels of BWS, self-selected walking speed decreased for the nonimpaired subjects. However, subjects post-stroke showed an average increase of 17% in self-selected walking speed when subjected to some level of BWS compared to the 0% BWS condition. Most subjects showed this increase at the 10% BWS level. Gait speed increases corresponded to an increase in step length, but not cadence.ConclusionsThe BWS training environment results in decreased self-selected walking speed in nonimpaired individuals, however self-selected overground walking speed is facilitated when provided with a small percentage of body weight support for people post-stroke.
Highlights
Previous research has shown that body weight support (BWS) has the potential to improve gait speed for individuals post-stroke
Each self selected walking speed, cadence, and step length measure recorded in the KineAssist was normalized to the respective measure obtained at the 0% BWS level in the KineAssist
The normalized data showed a decline in changes in self selected walking speed in the KineAssist from the 0% BWS level as BWS levels were increased (Fig 3, A)
Summary
Previous research has shown that body weight support (BWS) has the potential to improve gait speed for individuals post-stroke. Locomotor disability remains a major obstacle to community function in persons with chronic post-stroke hemiplegia. This disability is best characterized by a reduced gait speed that is observed in the majority of persons with post-stroke hemiplegia and has been shown to be correlated with other parameters such as balance, use of walking aids, number of falls, and ability to perform activities of daily living [1]. There is limited literature that explores how overground walking speed is altered while subjected to the body weight support environment for people post stroke during walking
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