Study may lead to improved gait training for patients with neurological disorders or limb loss

Main Category: Neurology / Neuroscience
Article Date: 20 May 2005 - 3:00 PDT

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This study discusses the timing of gait initiation and termination. Ten healthy participants and ten participants with below-knee limb loss performed starting, stopping, and steady-state walking. The time needed to reach steady-state speeds during gait initiation and the time needed to rapidly terminate gait do not depend on the steady-state walking speed.

No differences existed in these durations when the participants with below-knee amputations initiated or terminated gait with either their prosthetic sides or their nonamputated sides.

A greater understanding of the timing characteristics of gait initiation and termination may aid in the design of better training methods for patients with neurological disorders or limb loss.

Journal of Rehabilitation Research and Development Tipsheet
The current issue of the Journal of Rehabilitation Research and Development (JRRD) includes four articles on measurement, treatment, and causes of low back pain and five articles on prosthetic research, including the affect of practitioner knowledge and technique on prosthetic fit; rapid, low cost prosthetic production; and increase of skin temperature after a prosthetic limb is donned.

Contact: Judith LaVoie
judith@vard.org
410-962-1800 x 229
VA Research Communications Service
http://www.vard.org

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