Poster 1: Joint and Clinical Studies
A Novel Controller for Belt Accelerations During Late Stance to Modulate Propulsion Mechanics at Multiple Speeds
Hannah Cohen and Fabrizio Sergi
University of Delaware
Walking is critical for completing activities of daily living. Propulsion, a major subtask of walking, has two components: propulsive force, and pushoff angle. Our lab previously developed a training protocol based on belt accelerations applied at push-off to modulate propulsion mechanics but we have not assessed its efficacy for use for gait training of participants with asymmetric motor impairment. In this study, we recruited healthy adults to a two-session experiment where we measured the effect of belt accelerations on propulsion via anterior-posterior ground reaction forces, propulsive impulse (PI), TLA, and electromyography in three plantarflexor muscles. While walking on a dual-belt treadmill, participants experienced an increase in belt speed as they pushed off the treadmill. In the unilateral condition, only one leg was accelerated, while both legs were accelerated during their respective push-off in the bilateral condition. The electromyography results showed 5-10% increase in plantarflexor activation during training compared to baseline in the targeted legs. PI increased by 3-4% in the left leg during late aftereffects compared to baseline in the bilateral condition, and in the unilateral condition increased by 7% ± 0.38 in the targeted leg and 5% ± 0.20 in the non-targeted leg.
Research Area: Gait Analysis