NCT04877249

Gait Training in Post-Stroke Hemiparesis Hemiparesis

Gait Training to Reduce Compensatory Walking Patterns in Post-Stroke Hemiparesis

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 69 (actual)
• Sponsor: The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 20 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

The focus of this study is to optimize the delivery of a combined strength and aerobic training regimen to individuals with post stroke hemiparesis and reduce overuse and inefficiencies associated with the nonparetic leg during walking. This study proposes to use 1) split-belt treadmill and 2) single belt treadmill walking using split belt simulation software for enhancing symmetrical walking patterns for people with stroke.

Detailed description

This study will include twenty stroke survivors and twenty healthy adults (total 40 participants) who are 20 years or older. Both groups (stroke vs healthy) will be screened and recruited from a UTMB Stroke Support Group and local community in Galveston or Harris County for one year (2021-22). Healthy individuals will also participate in gait training compared to stroke participants. The focus of this gait training is to optimize the delivery of a combined strength and aerobic training regimen to older adults with post stroke hemiparesis and reduce overuse and inefficiencies associated with the nonparetic leg during walking. Investigators propose to use a combination of neuromechanical and biobehavioral approaches to enhance bilateral symmetry of limb propulsion using specialized split-belt, force-plate instrumented treadmill that uses backward directed resistance forces. With neuromechanics investigators will measure joint torque output, EMG muscle activity patterns, and trailing limb angle, while a person is walking under normal treadmill belt conditions versus the split-belt conditions at different levels of resistance. Electromyography (EMG) detects electrical activity during muscle contraction while the single or the split-belt treadmill walking. The joint torque output and trailing limb angle can be obtained by using the Vicon Motion System (Vicon, Oxford, UK) in conjunction with the Bertec split-belt, force plates instrumented treadmill (Bertec Corp., Columbus, OH). In addition, in terms of biobehavioral metrics, investigators will measure the extent to which people maintain improved paretic limb propulsion contributions immediately after the split-belt environment is restored to a single belt condition (i.e. aftereffects), and the ability of individuals to consciously alter their walking pattern so as to reduce compensatory walking patterns when they are not engaged with the specialized treadmill setup.

Conditions

• Stroke

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Split-belt treadmill training	1\. Split-belt gait training without or with any resistance, 2. Facilitating the knee extension during the terminal swing phase of gait cycle to identify the impact on the propulsive force generation of paretic leg

Timeline

• Start date: 2021-07-09
• Primary completion: 2024-06-05
• Completion: 2025-03-28
• First posted: 2021-05-07
• Last updated: 2025-04-11

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States