Active clinical trials for "Gait Disorders, Neurologic"

Approximately 20% of stroke survivors have difficulties to dorsiflex the ankle and clear the ground during walking. This impairment, termed as "foot drop", is caused by an association of weak dorsiflexors and increased spasticity and stiffness of the plantar-flexors. As a consequence, walking performances are reduced and energy cost of walking is deteriorated. This may increase performance fatigability, as the locomotion will be realized at a higher percentage of the subjects' capacities. In order to overcome these issues, different treatments are proposed. One of the most conventional solutions are the use of ankle foot orthosis (AFO) and it is the most commonly prescribed device used to compensate for "foot drop". There is a very large choice of AFO on the market which can be proposed to patients with foot drop. The aim of this study is thus to assess the mechanical effects of using a manufactured carbon AFO in by comparison to a custom-made thermo-plastic AFO on walking capacity (distance and energy cost), fatigue and "foot drop" control throughout the gait phase in patients with hemiparetic stroke.

For patients with a history of knee surgery, especially knee arthroplasty, the persistence of abnormal gait kinematics is a frequently encountered issue that can hinder their ability to return to normal daily living. Muscular imbalances and leg length discrepancy (LLD) following knee arthroplasty can impact a patient's ability to return to a normal gait pattern. In a study of 98 patients who underwent total knee arthroplasty, leg lengthening on the side of the operative knee was reported in 83% of patients as determined by comparing pre- and postoperative leg-length radiographs (Lang JE et al; J. Arthroplasty. 2012;27(3):341-346). LLD can lead to compensations in surrounding joints, muscles, and myofascial structures. Compensatory musculoskeletal changes, including changes in pelvic tilt and curvature of the lumbar spine can alter gait mechanics, lead to mechanical low back pain, and increase the risk of degenerative disc disease (Sheha EDM et al; J. Bone and Joint Surgery, Inc. 2018;6(8)(e6)). In addition, neurologic compensations can occur and include changes in muscular timing and muscular activation patterns. The mainstay of gait rehabilitation following knee surgery is physical therapy (PT) (O'Connor DP et al; J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 2001;31(7):340-352), where LLD can be addressed with heel lift therapy. The use of Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment (OMT) to address chronic compensatory musculoskeletal changes following knee surgery in order to improve gait has not been extensively studied. Both OMT and PT have been shown to improve gait imbalances in a variety of neurological conditions such as Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, and Prader-Willi syndrome. Previous studies of these neurologic conditions have demonstrated increases in walking velocity, step length, stride length and range of motion of the lower extremities following OMT. It remains to be determined whether OMT can improve gait pattern abnormalities caused by compensatory musculoskeletal patterns that persistent after traditional postoperative knee rehabilitation. The purpose of this study is to determine if OMT of chronic, compensatory, musculoskeletal issues associated with knee surgery improves gait parameters. In addition to providing objective parameters to assess and validate OMT, future patients recovering from knee surgery might benefit from OMT

The aim of this study is to compare the effects of robotic rehabilitation on balance, body control, mobility, spasticity, motor function and depression compared to traditional therapy in individuals with chronic stroke. Patients aged between 40-70 years, who applied to the Private Avrasya Hospital Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Clinic, were diagnosed with hemiplegia based on an epicrisis medical board report, were included in the study on a voluntary basis, regardless of gender. After recording the demographic and clinical information of the participants, based on the physician's decision, they were included in 2 groups: conventional treatment combined with robotic rehabilitation (n=20) and conventional treatment only (n=20). While one of the groups received traditional treatment, the other group received robotic walking training in addition to conventional treatment. Traditional treatment includes strengthening, balance, range of motion exercises and gait training applied 3 days a week for 4 weeks. Robot-assisted walking training was planned for 20 minutes, 3 days a week. As assessment methods, number of steps, the 10m Walk Test, Brunnstrom motor staging, Functional Ambulation Classification, Fugl Meyer Rating Scale (lower extremity section), Modified Ashworth Scale, Beck Depression Scale, Tinetti Balance and Gait Test, Postural Assessment Scale in Stroke Patients and Stroke Impact Scale were used. Gender, age and duration of illness showed homogeneous distribution between the groups.

Evaluation of the effectiveness of aquatic therapy for the treatment of freezing of gait in Parkinson's disease patients undergoing a multidisciplinary and intensive rehabilitation treatment.

To conduct a feasibility clinical trial to test a novel patient sensing automated treadmill device devised by local engineers for subacute hemiplegic stroke patients for gait rehabilitation. This is a phase 1 feasibility and safety trial on the above device for 10 chronic stroke patients with hemiparetic gait dysfunction to be conducted over a period of 2 months. Research protocol and standardized outcomes measures will be used.

This randomized clinical trial targets 248 community-dwelling older adults with impaired mobility (i.e. walking slowly; gait speed < 1.20 m/s). The trial compares a 12 week "standard-plus" program of strength, endurance, flexibility plus task specific timing and coordination training to a standard 12 week strength, endurance and flexibility program. The primary outcome is gait speed at 12 weeks. Secondary and tertiary outcomes represent components of the intervention and measures of activity and participation. Delayed and sustained effects of the intervention are examined at 24 and 36 weeks.

Falls are a major public health problem. They are the leading cause of injuries and injury-related deaths in those aged over 65 years. Balance and gait abnormalities are major reasons for falls in elderly. Exercise interventions improve gait and balance in the elderly. Despite the many proven benefits of exercise, many older adults in the US remain sedentary. This study targets at improving balance and gait with use of Wii-Fit as an exercise program.

The incidence of stroke in the industrial world is still high. Most of the patients are suffering from paresis of the affected side, speech and cognition problems. Modern concepts of motor learning after stroke favouring a task-specific repetitive high-intensity therapy approach to promote motor outcome. In the last couple of years robot-assisted therapy became an important part of modern rehabilitation after stroke. But so far there is no clear evidence that robot assisted therapy in combination with conventional therapy is more effective than conventional therapy alone to promote motor functions after stroke.

Parkinson disease (PD) is a progressive neurological disease that results in characteristic gait dysfunction. Gait problems include decreased velocity, decreased stride length, difficulty with initiation of gait, postural stability problems and alteration in joint kinematics.1 In this typically older patient population, these gait deviations affect their participation in household and community activities. The standard of care is currently focused on therapeutic exercise and cueing of various types (visual, auditory, verbal). Current interventions have not been demonstrated to markedly improve gait kinematics, so there is a need to identify interventions that could improve gait performance in this population. Lower extremity bracing is a common and well-established intervention for gait dysfunction with other populations, including stroke and brain injury. The braces allow for improved stability, sensory feedback, and consistent tactile cues to allow patients to have the best gait mechanics with each step. It is reasonable to hypothesize that appropriate bracing may have the potential to improve gait function and kinematics in PD since these patient often have gastroc-soleus weakness. Data from our early pilot studies indicates that bracing individuals with PD can positively impact their mobility. This includes improvements in velocity, step length, and dynamic balance. Additional data supported an upward trend in quality of life.

The objective of the clinical study was to examine if practice could improve walking patterns associated with fall risks before patients with obesity underwent weight loss surgery. We hypothesized that patients would show improvements in their walking after completing the intervention. For the intervention, patients walked under five conditions: on flat ground at the beginning of the study, crossing three obstacle heights, and on flat ground at the end of the study for a total of 25 times.