Post-stroke Perturbation Training

Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC)

Status

Completed

Conditions

Stroke

Treatments

Behavioral: Reactive Perturbations

Behavioral: Proactive Perturbations

Study type

Interventional

Funder types

Other

NIH

Identifiers

NCT04855032

1R01HD103923-01 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

00101810

Details and patient eligibility

About

Following a stroke, many individuals have a high risk of falls, which can negatively influence quality of life. Unfortunately, current treatments have not effectively addressed this problem. This study investigates whether two methods of delivering mechanical perturbations during walking have the potential to improve post-stroke walking balance and reduce real-world fall incidence.

Enrollment

86 patients

Sex

All

Ages

21+ years old

Volunteers

No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

Experience of a stroke at least 6 months prior to participation
Self-reported experience of a fall in the previous year, and/or a fear of falling
Gait speed of at least 0.2 m/s
Ability to walk on a treadmill without a cane or walker
Provision of informed consent

Exclusion criteria

Evidence of cerebellar damage
Resting blood pressure higher than 220/110 mm Hg
History of unstable cardiac arrhythmias, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, severe aortic stenosis, angina or dyspnea at rest or during activities of daily living
Preexisting neurological disorders or dementia
Legal blindness or severe visual impairment
History of DVT or pulmonary embolism within 6 months
Uncontrolled diabetes with recent weight loss, diabetic coma, or frequent insulin reactions
Orthopedic injuries or conditions (e.g. joint replacements) in the lower extremities with the potential to alter the gait pattern