None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
The aim of this study is to measure the impact of the coordination of leg muscles on walking parameters in people following stroke. A quantitative observational study will be carried out. Thirty stroke survivors will be recruited from past or present patients referred for physiotherapy after stroke at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital. Thirty healthy control participants will also be recruited from spouses of the stroke survivors or from the community. Inclusion criteria for the Stroke participants includes a history of stroke for 6 months or more; aged between 18-85 year olds; able to walk independently prior to the stroke; muscle strength equal or stronger than 4/5 on manual muscle test for the hip flexors and extensors, knee flexors and extensors, and the ankle plantarflexors and dorsiflexors; and able to walk unaided over 10 metres at a speed equal or greater than 0.6m/s (which is the minimal speed for community ambulation). The inclusion criteria for the Healthy control participants includes no history of stroke; age between 18-85 year olds;, able to walk unaided over 10 meters at a speed greater than 1.2m/s; and no weakness in the hip, knee and ankle muscles. Each participant will attend a 2 hour measurement session over 1-2 visits at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital. The measurement session will involve clinical tests of walking speed and capacity (10 metre walk test and six minute walk test respectively); ; a clinical test of lower limb coordination (Lower Extremity Motor Coordination Test - LEMOCOT) and a laboratory measure of lower limb coordination (raw acceleration of hip flexion/extension, knee flexion/extension and ankle plantarflexion/dorsiflexion using an Actigraph GT3X accelerometer). In addition, standard clinical measures will be used to measure the impairments of contracture, spasticity and sensory loss in the stroke participants.The relationship between walking (speed and capacity) and coordination (total scores of LEMOCOT; the amplitude and jerk of lower limb movement) will be analysed and compared between groups. Their usual physiotherapy intervention and rehab program will not be influenced by participating in this project.
Interventions
An observational study – approximately 2 hours in total of 1-2 measurement sessions to measure and compare the relationship between walking speed and lower limb coordination in stroke survivors and healthy people of similar age
Sponsors
The University of Sydney
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
18 Years to 85 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
Stroke participant groups: Stroke (> 6 months). Walking speed greater than or equal to 0.6m/s (selected to ensure a spread of walking speeds within the range of 0.6m/s to 1.2m/s, five participants will be distributed onto 5 different baskets of walking speed range equally divided from 0.6m/s to 1.2m/s, e.g. 5 participants will be in 0.6-0.72 m/s basket according to the result of the 10 metre walk test). Able to walk unaided over 10 metres. Manual muscle test equal or greater than 4/5 of the hip flexion, hip extension, knee flexion, knee extension, ankle plantarflexion and ankle dorsiflexion and able to follow verbal instructions Healthy participant groups: no history of stroke, walking speed equal or greater than 1.2m/s unaided over 10 metres. Manual muscle test is 5/5 of the hip flexion, hip extension, knee flexion, knee extension, ankle plantarflexion and ankle dorsiflexion and able to follow verbal instructions
Exclusion criteria
unable to walk unaided for 10 metre
Outcome results
None listed