Stroke
Conditions
Brief summary
The purpose of this study is to quantify how fall-recovery training improves the fall-recovery response of individuals with chronic stroke. Up to 20 participants with chronic stroke will be recruited from the community. Over six laboratory visits, participants will undergo sessions of fall-recovery training. Each session is comprised of simulated trips and slips as participants stand on a computer-controlled treadmill. Trip-recovery training consists of treadmill-delivered disturbances that induce a forward fall. Slip-recovery training consists of a treadmill-delivered disturbances that induce a backward fall. Separate progressions focus on initial steps with the left and right limbs. The training intensity, as determined by the disturbance magnitude, is progressive and dependent on participant performance. Step length and maximum trunk angle will be calculated. The hypothesis is that, with practice, participants will recover from larger perturbations, and they will increase step length and reduce trunk rotation during fall recoveries.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALFall-recovery training
Participants practice recovering from simulated, treadmill-induced slips and trips.
Sponsors
University of Delaware
Study design
Allocation
NA
Intervention model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* Participants must be 18 years or older * Participants must have had a single stroke of non-cerebellar origin
Exclusion criteria
* More than one stroke * Unable to walk one block without stopping or using a walking aid, such as a cane * Acute illness at the time of functional assessment or training * Body mass greater than 136 kg (300 lbs) * Lower extremity joint replacement or shoulder joint replacement within a year prior to participation * Dementia * Parkinson's disease * A history of back surgery * A history of neck surgery * More than one occurrence of back or neck pain in the month prior to participation * Current back or neck pain at the time of participant enrollment * Bulging vertebral discs * Spine, hip, or lower extremity fracture within a year prior to participation * Open lesions on the lower extremity * Insulin-dependent diabetes * Use of a pacemaker * Use of an ostomy pouch * Pregnancy * Osteoporosis * Doctor recommendation to avoid moderate physical activity or exercise * Any neural, muscular, or skeletal condition or injury that precludes safe participation in the training or introduces a confounding factor on the study, at the discretion of the clinician or study staff
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Disturbance magnitude | 2-3 weeks (first to last training session) | The highest disturbance magnitude from which a successful fall-recovery resulted on the first and last training sessions |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Step length | 2-3 weeks (first to last training session) | The length of the initial recovery step in response to the highest disturbance magnitude common to the first and last training sessions |
| Trunk rotation | 2-3 weeks (first to last training session) | The maximum trunk rotation angle in response to the highest disturbance magnitude common to the first and last training sessions |
Outcome results
None listed