At a glance
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Biofeedback to Increase Propulsion During Walking After Stroke
In Brief
A Phase 1 clinical trial evaluating Gait Training with Biofeedback and Gait Training with Verbal Feedback for Stroke. Completed, enrolled 11 participants across 1 site.
Detailed Summary
Approximately 15,000 Veterans are hospitalized for stroke each year with new cases costing an estimated $111 million for acute inpatient, $75 million for post-acute inpatient, and $88 million for follow-up care over 6 months post-stroke. Rehabilitation of walking ability contributes to these costs. To "walk again" is the number one stated goal for Veterans who have had a stroke. Teaching patients post-stroke to use their weak leg while they are regaining walking function and to not compensate by over-using their strong leg is necessary to restore safe, efficient walking ability. This project will determine if providing biofeedback (an audible tone) from pressure-sensitive shoe insole sensors, that encourage use of the weaker leg during walking training, in addition to therapists' feedback, will help Veterans regain use of their weak leg, improve their endurance and improve their balance when walking in challenging environments.
Study Details
Timeline
Interventions
Intervention (12, 60-minute sessions, 3X/week for four weeks) will occur in an outpatient research setting. Participants will be supervised by a licensed physical therapist and wear a gait belt during all activities. The therapist will choose from a standardized bank of gait activities, suitable to each participant's ability level. The goal for total walking time for each session will be 50 minutes: 5, 10-minute bouts with a 2-minute rest between bouts. This is the typical length and intensity of outpatient rehabilitation sessions for ambulatory patients discharged from inpatient rehabilitation. Biofeedback Group: Biofeedback (external-focus feedback) will be provided as an adjuvant to therapist-provided feedback during the intervention. Participants will be instructed that a tone will sound when they "push off with their (paretic) leg to swing it forward" when the participant-specific pre-programmed threshold is exceeded.
Intervention (12, 60-minute sessions, 3X/week for four weeks) will occur in an outpatient research setting. Participants will be supervised by a licensed physical therapist and wear a gait belt during all activities. The therapist will choose from a standardized bank of gait activities, suitable to each participant's ability level. The goal for total walking time for each session will be 50 minutes: 5, 10-minute bouts with a 2-minute rest between bouts. This is the typical length and intensity of outpatient rehabilitation sessions for ambulatory patients discharged from inpatient rehabilitation. Verbal Feedback Group: Therapist-provided internal-focus feedback ("directed towards components of body movement") will be used to instruct participants on achieving and/or maintaining appropriate movement patterns that contribute to propulsion generation.