A Novel, Comprehensive Approach to Post-stroke Gait Rehabilitation
CVA (Cerebrovascular Accident)
About this trial
This is an interventional basic science trial for CVA (Cerebrovascular Accident) focused on measuring stroke, walking, rehabilitation, aerobic exercise
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria:
- >6 months post stroke, affecting 1 hemisphere of the brain
- Independently ambulatory (including use assistive devices)
- Able to walk for 5 minutes without stopping
- Demonstrates readiness for exercise based on responses to the PAR-Q+
- Participants enrolled in Aim 2 will require medical clearance from physician to participate
Exclusion Criteria:
- Damage to the pons or cerebellum on MRI or signs of cerebellar involvement
- Damage to the basal ganglia or extrapyramidal symptoms
- Uncontrolled hypertension (>160/100mmHg)
- Montreal Cognitive Assessment score < 25
Orthopedic or pain conditions
- Note*: Pregnant women are excluded from this study to avoid any potential harm to the fetus from the harness used during treadmill walking.
Sites / Locations
- University of Southern CaliforniaRecruiting
Arms of the Study
Arm 1
Arm 2
Experimental
Experimental
Reducing interlimb asymmetry with biofeedback post-stroke
Evaluating capacity for biofeedback use at varied intensities
We will use a randomized crossover design to determine the performance and retention effects following single-day training sessions with biofeedback of three different gait variables (i.e., step length, propulsive force, and interlimb asymmetry) in 25 individuals with chronic stroke.
We will use a within-session randomized crossover design to test the capacity of persons post-stroke (second cohort; n=25) to reduce their interlimb asymmetry using the biofeedback variable found to be the most effective for the group in Aim 1 while walking in three aerobic intensity zones: low, moderate, and vigorous (30-40%, 50-60%, and 70-80% of heart rate reserve, respectively).