A gait signal acquisition and parameter characterization method based on foot pressure detection combined with Azure Kinect system / 生物医学工程学杂志

The gait acquisition system can be used for gait analysis. The traditional wearable gait acquisition system will lead to large errors in gait parameters due to different wearing positions of sensors. The gait acquisition system based on marker method is expensive and needs to be used by combining with the force measurement system under the guidance of rehabilitation doctors. Due to the complex operation, it is inconvenient for clinical application. In this paper, a gait signal acquisition system that combines foot pressure detection and Azure Kinect system is designed. Fifteen subjects are organized to participate in gait test, and relevant data are collected. The calculation method of gait spatiotemporal parameters and joint angle parameters is proposed, and the consistency analysis and error analysis of the gait parameters of proposed system and camera marking method are carried out. The results show that the parameters obtained by the two systems have good consistency (Pearson correlation coefficient r ≥ 0.9, P < 0.05) and have small error (root mean square error of gait parameters is less than 0.1, root mean square error of joint angle parameters is less than 6). In conclusion, the gait acquisition system and its parameter extraction method proposed in this paper can provide reliable data acquisition results as a theoretical basis for gait feature analysis in clinical medicine.

Relationship between cognitive performance and mobility in patients with Parkinson's disease: a cross-sectional study / Relação entre desempenho cognitivo e mobilidade em pacientes com doença de Parkinson: um estudo transversal

ABSTRACT Gait disorders may be associated with cognitive impairment, and slow speed predicts cognitive impairment and dementia. Objective: To investigate the relationships between cognitive function and gait performance in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) who attended a hospital neurorehabilitation program. Methods: Descriptive and inferential statistics (Pearson's correlation) were used for data analysis. The cognitive functions were evaluated through Digit Span, Mental Control, Trail Making Test, Phonemic Verbal Fluency Task, and Addenbrooke's Cognitive Examination III. The motor function was assessed through 10-meter walk test, Mini BESTest and Timed Up and Go Test. Results: A total of 65 patients were included in this study. Of these, 66.15% were males, mean age was 61.14 (8.39) years, mean educational was 12 (8) years, disease progression time was 5.45 (4.37) years. 64.61% were in stages I and II of the Hoehn and Yahr stage. The correlation analyses showed that balance skills are significantly correlated with the ability to switch attention between two tasks and visuospatial function. The function mobility showed a significant correlation with cognitive tests. Conclusion: Data suggest the importance of the aspects of switch attention and mental flexibility in gait, evidencing the greater difficulty for double tasks.

RESUMO Alterações na marcha podem estar associadas ao comprometimento cognitivo, e a velocidade lenta prediz comprometimento cognitivo e demência. Objetivo: Investigar as relações entre a capacidade cognitiva e o desempenho da marcha em pacientes com doença de Parkinson (DP) que participaram de um programa de neurorreabilitação hospitalar. Métodos: A estatística descritiva e inferencial (correlação de Pearson) foi utilizada para análise dos dados. As funções cognitivas foram avaliadas por meio do Teste de Extensão de Dígitos, Controle Mental, Teste de Trilha, Tarefa de Fluência Verbal Fonêmica, Exame Cognitivo de Addenbrooke III. A função motora foi avaliada através do teste de caminhada de 10 metros, Mini BESTest e Timed Up and Go Test. Resultados: Um total de 65 pacientes foi incluído neste estudo. Destes, 66,15% eram do sexo masculino, com média de idade de 61,14 (8,39) anos, com escolaridade média de 12 (8) anos, tempo de evolução da doença de 5,45 (4,37) anos. 64,61% estavam nos estágios I e II do estágio Hoehn e Yahr. As análises de correlação mostraram que as habilidades de equilíbrio estão significativamente correlacionadas com a capacidade de alternar a atenção entre duas tarefas e a função visuoespacial. A função mobilidade apresentou correlação significativa com os testes cognitivos. Conclusão: Os dados sugerem a importância dos aspectos de troca de atenção e flexibilidade mental na marcha, evidenciando a maior dificuldade para tarefas duplas.

A Comparative Study On The Effects Of Pelvic Pnf Exercises And Hip Extensor Strengthening Exercises On Gait Parameters Of Chronic Hemiplegic Patients

Background: Most hemiplegic patients who suffer from stroke experience restrictions on mobility at home and in the community, and they especially have difficulty with independent walking. Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF) is one approach commonly used to improve the gait of patients with hemiplegia. Various PNF procedures have been used, depending on the affected site. Among these PNF techniques is facilitation of pelvic motion to improve control of the pelvis.Hence the study was done to compare the effects of pelvic PNF exercises and Hip extensor strengthening exercises on gait parameters of chronic hemiplegic patients. Materials and Methods: 30 subjects were conveniently divided into either of the two groups namely Pelvic PNF Group (Group A) and Hip extensor strengthening Group (Group B). Subjects in Group A received a protocol of 3 PNF techniques for 3 days a week for a total duration of 4 weeks (12 sessions). These procedures were done to facilitate anterior elevation and posterior depression of pelvis in a side lying position. Subjects in Group B received a protocol for hip extensor strengthening exercise (HESE) program. Each session consisted of 3 sets of 15 performances of the 3-step program lasting about 30 min, with 30 seconds of relaxation time between the sets. The measurements of the variables i.e. Gait speed, Cadence, Stride Length, Step Length was taken twice, one at the beginning of the study (Pre) and one at the conclusion of the 4 week duration (Post).The pre post measurements of outcome measures were analysed. Results: Following 4 weeks of Pelvic PNF exercises and Hip extensor strengthening exercises, there was a statistically significant increase in Gait parameters in all domains. However the increase was statistically more significant in the experimental group (Pelvic PNF) as compared to the control group (HESE). Conclusion: Pelvic Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation technique is more effective than Hip extensor strengthening exercises in improving gait parameters such as stride length, gait velocity and cadence in chronic hemiplegic patients.

Analysis of the kinematic variation of human gait under different walking conditions using computer visión / Análisis de la variación cinemática de la marcha humana bajo diversas condiciones de caminado usando visión por computadora

ABSTRACT: This paper presents the analysis of human gait of three young adults under several walking conditions similar to those in real life. The aim is to evaluate how the human gait varies when different walking conditions are considered. In order to evaluate the human gait variations under different walking conditions, first a 3D computer visión system to reconstruct human gaits is developed and presented. Then, a set of kinematic gait parameters is defined in order to analyse the different gait patterns. Finally, several experiments are conducted with three normal Young adults walking under different real-life conditions, such as ascending a slope walk, no arm-swing walk, carrying a front load walk, carrying a lateral load walk, fast walk and high-heel shoes walk. The results has shown that the human gait pattern vary according to the walking conditions, being the most common variation a slower walk with shorter steps than the normal walk. Since the aim of the paper is to identify and evaluate human gait variations under different walking conditions, only three subjects were considered in the study. However, in order to provide more precise and standard results the number of subjects must be increased considering different age, height, sex, weight, and health conditions of the participants. Human walking patterns are very important for medical diagnosis and orthopedics, pathological and aging evaluation, medical rehabilitation, and design of rehabilitation systems, human prosthesis and humanoid robots. However, most of the research work in the literature has been primarily focused on the analysis of gait patterns under normal walking conditions. This fact has led to a limited knowledge of the human gait patterns since real-life walking conditions are diverse, e.g. walking carrying a load. This paper presents the analysis of human gait of three young adults under walking conditions similar to those in real life. Human gait patterns vary with the walking conditions, which must be considered during the analysis, evaluation and diagnosis of gait performance, or during the design process of prostheses or rehabilitation systems.

RESUMEN: En este artículo se presenta el análisis del patrón de caminado de tres adultos jóvenes bajo diversas condiciones de caminado tal como se presentan en la vida real. El objetivo es determinar la variación del patrón de caminado cuando se tienen diferentes condiciones de caminado. Con el propósito de evaluar la variación del patrón de caminado bajo diversas condiciones de caminado, primero se desarrolla y presenta un sistema de visión por computadora para la reconstrucción 3D de las trayectorias del caminado humano. Posteriormente se define un conjunto de parámetros cinemáticos de caminado para analizar los diferentes patrones de caminado. Finalmente se realiza una serie de experimentos con tres adultos jóvenes a los cuales se les pidió caminar bajo diferentes condiciones como en la vida real, tales como caminar subiendo una pendiente, caminar sin braceo, caminar sosteniendo una carga la frente, caminar sosteniendo una carga lateral, caminar rápido y caminar con zapato de tacón alto. Los resultados han demostrado que el patrón de caminado humano varía de acuerdo a las condiciones del caminado, siendo una de las variaciones más comunes un caminado más lento con pasos más cortos que el caminado normal. Debido a que el objetivo del trabajo es identificar y evaluar variaciones del patrón de caminado bajo diversas condiciones, solamente se consideraron tres sujetos de estudio. Sin embargo, para proporcionar resultados más precisos y normalizados el tamaño de la muestra debe incrementarse considerando diferentes edades, estaturas, sexo, peso, y condiciones de salud de los participantes. Los patrones del caminado humano son muy importantes para el diagnóstico médico y ortopédico, las evaluaciones patológicas y de envejecimiento, la rehabilitación médica, y el diseño de sistemas de rehabilitación, prótesis humanas y robots humanoides. Sin embargo, la mayoría de los trabajos de investigación reportados en la literatura se han enfocado principalmente en el análisis del patrón de caminado humano bajo condiciones normales de caminado. Estos estudios del caminado humano han dado lugar a un conocimiento limitado debido a que las condiciones del caminado en la vida real son diversas, por ejemplo caminar con una carga. Este trabajo presenta el análisis del patrón de caminado de tres adultos jóvenes bajo diversas condiciones de caminado similares a la vida real. El patrón de caminado humano varía de acuerdo a las condiciones de caminado, lo cual debe ser considerado durante en análisis, evaluación y diagnóstico del desempeño de caminado, o durante el proceso de diseño de prótesis o sistemas de rehabilitación.

Differences in gait characteristics of women walking with and without sports bra / 医用生物力学

Objective To compare the differences in gait characteristics and stability of women walking with or without sports bra. Methods Twelve women with C cup breast were required to walk on the treadmill (at the speed of 6 km/h) with and without sports bras, respectively. Their gait parameters were collected by using Qualisys Track Manager high-speed infrared motion capture system. Results Compared with the bare-breasted condition, the maximum and minimum angles of the upper trunk were significantly smaller when subjects wearing the sports bra, the range of trunk flexion angles and trunk torsion angles were also relatively smaller, and the standard deviation of hip flexion angles during 10 gait cycles was obviously smaller. However, no differences were found in stride frequency between two breast support conditions. Conclusions Different breast support conditions have a significant influence on the upper trunk angle, trunk flexion angle and trunk torsion angle. Walking without bra will increase the range of trunk angle and deteriorate the walking stability. The stride frequencies under different breast support conditions have individual differences.

Differences in gait characteristics of women walking with and without sports bra / 医用生物力学

Objective To compare the differences in gait characteristics and stability of women walking with or without sports bra.Methods Twelve women with C cup breast were required to walk on the treadmill (at the speed of 6 krn/h) with and without sports bras,respectively.Their gait parameters were collected by using Qualisys Track Manager high-speed infrared motion capture system.Results Compared with the bare-breasted condition,the maximum and minimum angles of the upper trunk were significantly smaller when subjects wearing the sports bra,the range of trunk flexion angles and trunk torsion angles were also relatively smaller,and the standard deviation of hip flexion angles during 10 gait cycles was obviously smaller.However,no differences were found in stride frequency between two breast support conditions.Conclusions Different breast support conditions have a significant influence on the upper trunk angle,trunk flexion angle and trunk torsion angle.Walking without bra will increase the range of trunk angle and deteriorate the walking stability.The stride frequencies under different breast support conditions have individual differences.

The influence of constrained arms swing on temporal and spatial gait parameters in healthy young adults / 中国康复医学杂志

Objective:To explore the influence of constrained arms swing on temporal and spatial gait parameters in healthy young adults.Method:Thirty-six healthy young persons (18 male,18 female;age:22.72±3.54 years;height:167.35±9.15 cm;weight:63.62±16.29 kg) were recruited for this study.All subjects received gait analysis by the Gait Watch analyses system.All subjects walked combined with 10 walking conditions (the arms swinging naturally,the arms constrained in front of the abdomen,the arms constrained in back of the abdomen,the left arm constrained in body side,the left arm constrained in front of the abdomen,the left arm constrained in back of the abdomen,the right arm constrained in body side,the right arm constrained in front of the abdomen and the right arm constrained in back of the abdomen).Walking conditions were randomly set during the experiment.The differences of the temporal and spatial gait parameters were analyzed and compared.Result:There was not significant difference of the temporal and spatial gait parameters (gait cycle,stride frequency,stride length,step velocity,step length,left step,right step,double support phase) between arm constrained and the arms swinging naturally.The left support phase and left swing phase showed significantly difference with the left arm constrained in body side,the left arm constrained in front of the abdomen and the left arm constrained in back of the abdomen compared with arms swinging naturally.The right support phase and right swing phase showed significantly difference with the left arm constrained in back of the abdomen,the right arm constrained in body side,the right arm constrained in front of the abdomen and the right arm constrained in back of the abdomen compared with arms swinging naturally.Conclusion:The left support phase was shorten and left swing phase was prolonged with the left arm constrained,while the right support phase was prolonged and right swing phase was shorten with the right arm constrained.

The timed up and go test and maximum walking speed test for evaluating the walking ability of stroke patients / 中华物理医学与康复杂志

Objective To explore the effectiveness of the timed up and go test (TUGT) and the maximum walking speed test (MWST) in evaluating stroke patients' motor function.Methods Twenty-two stroke patients were assessed using the TUGT and MWST,and the temporal-spatial parameters of their gait were also assessed.The correlations among the TUGT times,walking speed and the gait parameters were quantified using Pearson correlation coefficients.Results The TUGT time was (18.57±7.41) s,significantly correlated with step length and velocity (P＜0.05).Walking speed showed a significant positive correlation with step length,velocity and step length (P＜ 0.05).The TUGT times were negatively correlated with walking speed (r=-0.712,P=0.000).Conclusion The MWST and TUGT both can assess stroke patients' motor function effectively.

Three-dimensional Hindlimb Gait Data Toolkit for Healthy and Spinal Cord Injured Rhesus Monkey / 中国康复理论与实践

Objective To establish a three-dimensional hindlimb gait data toolkit (THGT) for healthy and spinal cord injured (SCI) non-human primate (rhesus monkey) based on Matlab to realize upload of original data, automatic gait division, calculation and drawing of multiple gait parameters, etc. Methods Vicon system was used to collect three-dimensional hindlimb gait data of healthy and SCI (after 6 weeks) rhesus monkey to obtain the kinematics data of both hindlimbs in continuous strides. It was analyzed with THGT to process the gait division, calculation and drawing of multiple gait parameters. Results THGT read the data, distinguished cycles of gait, calculated 140 kinds of gait parameters and drew graphs of the results. Conclusion THGT extends the universality of the Vicon data, realizes automatically gait division and friendly interactive interface, and puts out the visible results.

Three-dimensional Hindlimb Gait Data Toolkit for Healthy and Spinal Cord Injured Rhesus Monkey / 中国康复理论与实践

@#Objective To establish a three- dimensional hindlimb gait data toolkit (THGT) for healthy and spinal cord injured (SCI) non-human primate (rhesus monkey) based on Matlab to realize upload of original data, automatic gait division, calculation and drawing of multiple gait parameters, etc. Methods Vicon system was used to collect three-dimensional hindlimb gait data of healthy and SCI (after 6 weeks) rhesus monkey to obtain the kinematics data of both hindlimbs in continuous strides. It was analyzed with THGT to process the gait division, calculation and drawing of multiple gait parameters. Results THGT read the data, distinguished cycles of gait, calculated 140 kinds of gait parameters and drew graphs of the results. Conclusion THGT extends the universality of the Vicon data, realizes automatically gait division and friendly interactive interface, and puts out the visible results.

Influence of dual task and frailty on gait parameters of older community-dwelling individuals

Background: Gait parameters such as gait speed (GS) are important indicators of functional capacity. Frailty Syndrome is closely related to GS and is also capable of predicting adverse outcomes. The cognitive demand of gait control is usually explored with dual-task (DT) methodology. Objective: To investigate the effect of DT and frailty on the spatio-temporal parameters of gait in older people and identify which variables relate to GS. Method: The presence of frailty was verified by Fried's Frailty Criteria. Cognitive function was evaluated with the Mini-Mental State Exam (MMSE) and gait parameters were analyzed through the GAITRite(r) system in the single-task and DT conditions. The Kolmogorov-Smirnov, ANOVA, and Pearson's Correlation tests were administered. Results: The participants were assigned to the groups frail (FG), pre-frail (PFG), and non-frail (NFG). During the DT, the three groups showed a decrease in GS, cadence, and stride length and an increase in stride time (p<0.001). The reduction in the GS of the FG during the DT showed a positive correlation with the MMSE scores (r=730; p=0.001) and with grip strength (r=681; p=0.001). Conclusions: Gait parameters are more affected by the DT, especially in the frail older subjects. The reduction in GS in the FG is associated with lower grip strength and lower scores in the MMSE. The GS was able to discriminate the older adults in the three levels of frailty, being an important measure of the functional capacity in this population. .

Agreement between portable and laboratory analyses of temporal and spatial gait parameters / 中华物理医学与康复杂志

Objective To explore the extent of agreement between measurements of temporal and spatial gait parameters made with portable gait analysis equipment and in the laboratory.Methods Fifteen healthy young people submitted to laboratory gait analysis using 3D motion analysis apparatus and then on the same day to analysis using the Gait Watch portable apparatus.Cadence,stride length,walking speed and step length were recorded.Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) and Bland-Altman plots were used to evaluate the agreement between the two gait analyses.Results Test-retest comparisons with the Gait Watch apparatus generated ICCs for the temporal and spatial parameters ranging between 0.80 and 0.98,indicating good test-retest reliability.Bland-Altman plots comparing the two measurement systems also showed good agreement.According to paired simple t tests,the stride length,walking speed,and step length assessments with the two systems showed significant differences.All exceeded the minimum detection threshold (stride length =0.05 m,walking speed =0.12 m/s,left step length =0.03 m,right step length =0.04 m).Conclusions Measurements of cadence,stride length,walking speed and step length with the two systems yield acceptable agreement,and either can be used in clinical walking assessment.