Parkinson's disease (PD) is characterized by resting tremor, bradykinesia, rigidity, and postural instability. These cardinal symptoms commonly affect gait performance and therefore researchers have been investigating techniques to manage and treat gait impairment in individuals with PD. This thesis explores a progressive approach to gait rehabilitation using a novel intervention that combines ...

INTRODUCTION Stroke survivors are often left with neurological and functional deficits, which impair their ability to walk and affect their balance. This study assessed gait parameters and balance performance among stroke survivors and examined the relationship between these two factors. METHODS Seventy stroke survivors (65.7% males) who were 6 months or more post stroke participated in this ...

Background: Parkinson’s disease (PD) impairs gait performance, which can lead to falls and decreased quality of life. This study examined the feasibility of implementing a novel home-based intervention designed to elicit gait improvement in individuals with PD. Methods: Five participants with PD completed a two-week home-based gait retraining intervention designed around guided video feedback. ...

Supported Treadmill Ambulation Training (STAT) is a mode of therapy for gait retraining for patients with spinal cord injuries or other upper motor neuron dysfunction. The STAT program involves simultaneously supporting a portion of the patient's weight while gait training on a treadmill. STAT has been successful in improving the gait of many research subjects, but has not been widely applied i...

BACKGROUND Robotics and related technologies are realizing their promise to improve the delivery of rehabilitation therapy but the mechanism by which they enhance recovery is still unknown. The electromechanical-driven gait orthosis Lokomat has demonstrated its utility for gait rehabilitation after stroke. AIM To test the efficacy of Lokomat in gait retraining and to investigate the neurophys...

Background: Semi-recumbent cycling exercise has been used as a strategy to complement gait retraining in individuals with disordered walking ability. However, seated elliptical stepping might be a more potent exercise modality for this purpose. Yet, there has not been a kinematic analysis of elliptical stepping exercise, whereby the movement path is produced by a slider-crank mechanism. This st...

Background and Purpose The motor impairments related to gait and balance have a huge impact on the life of individuals with spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA). Here, the aim was to assess the possibility of retraining gait, improving cardiopulmonary capacity, and challenging balance during gait in SCA using a partial body weight support (BWS) and a treadmill. Also, the effects of this training over f...

INTRODUCTION Knee osteoarthritis causes debilitating pain, and results in characteristic gait changes. Some authors believe that a system of neuromuscular retraining may improve these parameters. We therefore evaluated a novel brace that combines pneumatic joint unloading and active swing-assist to assess: (1) differences in pain levels or medication usage; (2) reductions in additional interven...