RECRUITINGINTERVENTIONAL

Treadmill Oscillation Walking to Improve Weight Transfer During Gait Following Stroke

Neuromuscular and Biomechanical Control of Weight Transfer During Gait in Individuals Post-stroke

About This Trial

This study aims to determine the immediate and short-term effects of treadmill oscillation walking (TOW) exercise on hip and knee neuromechanics and gait characteristics in individuals post-stroke. It was hypothesized that compared to baseline, individuals poststroke (N=15) will show increased hip abductor and knee extensor muscle activity and torque production, and increased limb loading and walking speeds during TOW and following a 6-week TOW intervention, reflecting that TOW can enhance gait function through improved hip and knee neuromechanical activation.

Who May Be Eligible (Plain English)

Who May Qualify: 1. Hemiparesis as a result of a stroke greater than 6 months previous to the study; 2. A single cortical or subcortical stroke 3. Able to walk 10 meters with or without a walking aid 4. Able to stand unsupported for 5 minutes 5. Sufficient cognitive function to follow instruction and communicate with the investigators. 6. Reduced paretic limb loading more than 6% compared to the non-paretic limb during overground gait assessment Who Should NOT Join This Trial: 1. Medical condition precluding participant in regular exercise, such as acute cardiac or respiratory conditions limiting activity and other health conditions significantly impacting the ability to walk beyond the effects of the stroke, such as other neurological conditions or peripheral neuropathies; 2. Bilateral stroke or a previous stroke in the contralateral hemisphere; 3. Had a history of multiple strokes; 4. Cerebellar stroke; 5. Lower extremity joint replacement; 6. Bone or joint problems that limited their ability to walk; 7. A resting heart rate outside of the range of 40 to 100 beats per minute; 8. A resting blood pressure outside of the range of 90/60 to 170/90 mm Hg; 9. Neglect; 10. Hemianopia; 11. Unexplained dizziness during the past 6 months; 12. Chest pain or shortness of breath without exertion; 13. Pregnancy by self-report. Always talk to your doctor about whether this trial is right for you.

Original Eligibility Criteria

View original clinical language

Inclusion Criteria: 1. Hemiparesis as a result of a stroke greater than 6 months previous to the study; 2. A single cortical or subcortical stroke 3. Able to walk 10 meters with or without a walking aid 4. Able to stand unsupported for 5 minutes 5. Sufficient cognitive function to follow instruction and communicate with the investigators. 6. Reduced paretic limb loading more than 6% compared to the non-paretic limb during overground gait assessment Exclusion Criteria: 1. Medical condition precluding participant in regular exercise, such as acute cardiac or respiratory conditions limiting activity and other health conditions significantly impacting the ability to walk beyond the effects of the stroke, such as other neurological conditions or peripheral neuropathies; 2. Bilateral stroke or a previous stroke in the contralateral hemisphere; 3. Had a history of multiple strokes; 4. Cerebellar stroke; 5. Lower extremity joint replacement; 6. Bone or joint problems that limited their ability to walk; 7. A resting heart rate outside of the range of 40 to 100 beats per minute; 8. A resting blood pressure outside of the range of 90/60 to 170/90 mm Hg; 9. Neglect; 10. Hemianopia; 11. Unexplained dizziness during the past 6 months; 12. Chest pain or shortness of breath without exertion; 13. Pregnancy by self-report.

Treatments Being Tested

BEHAVIORAL

Treadmill Oscillation Walking

Each participant with stroke will partake in 18 training sessions. Training sessions will be for one hour three times a week for 6 weeks. During training, participants will walk at their self-selected walking speed on the treadmill that moves side-to-side for 1 cm in a sinusoidal pattern. The sinusoidal oscillation frequency will match each participant's natural stride frequency calculated from baseline evaluation. Subjects will be instructed to respond naturally and maintain continuous walking. Participants will wear a safety harness with no body weight support. For each training session, six 6-minute bouts of treadmill oscillation trials will be performed (Hsiao et al. 2016) and rest period will be provided between bouts. Because lower extremity muscle activity increases with increasing oscillation frequency, the treadmill oscillation frequency will be increased by 5% each week to continue to drive progressive adaptive changes (25% over 6 weeks) (Pohl et al. 2002).

Locations (1)

Bellmont Hall

Austin, Texas, United States