http://www.jneuroengrehab.com/content/9/1/80/abstract
Abstract (provisional)
Background
Previous studies demonstrated that stroke survivors have a limited capacity to increase
their walking speeds beyond their self-selected maximum walking speed (SMWS). The
purpose of this study was to determine the capacity of stroke survivors to reach faster
speeds than their SMWS while walking on a treadmill belt or while being pushed by
a robotic system (i.e. "push mode").
Methods
Eighteen chronic stroke survivors with hemiplegia were involved in the study. We calculated
their self-selected comfortable walking speed (SCWS) and SMWS overground using a 5-meter
walk test (5-MWT). Then, they were exposed to walking at increased speeds, on a treadmill
and while in "push mode" in an overground robotic device, the KineAssist, until they
were tested at a speed that they could not sustain without losing balance. We recorded
the time and number of steps during each trial and calculated gait speed, average
cadence and average step length.
Results
Maximum walking speed in the "push mode" was 13% higher than the maximum walking speed
on the treadmill and both were higher ("push mode": 61%; treadmill: 40%) than the
maximum walking speed overground. Subjects achieved these faster speeds by initially
increasing both step length and cadence and, once individuals stopped increasing their
step length, by only increasing cadence.
Conclusions
With post-stroke hemiplegia, individuals are able to walk at faster speeds than their
SMWS overground, when provided with a safe environment that provides external forces
that requires them to attempt dynamic stability maintenance at higher gait speeds.
Therefore, this study suggests the possibility that, given the appropriate conditions,
people post-stroke can be trained at higher speeds than previously attempted.
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