A novel, comprehensive approach to post-stroke gait rehabilitation

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to understand how individuals control their walking after stroke while using visual information about their walking and while walking at different speeds. We hope to learn how people learn new walking patterns when parts of the brain are damaged and how this may change at different walking speeds.  

We are looking for survivors of stroke, 6 months or more after their stroke, who are able to walk on a treadmill for 5 minutes.  

Keywords: stroke, walking, gait, motor learning

Study Sites

Division of Physical Therapy and Biokinesiology, USC Health Sciences Campus, 1540 E. Alcazar St., Los Angeles CA 90033

 
  • Men & Women
Age icon
18 - 80
 
 
OR
 

What's involved?

Study length

  • Up to 1 year

Number of visits

  • 1-5 visits with each visit lasting 2 to 4 hours

Prescription

  • None

Procedures

  • Questionnaires about general health, stroke, movement, and cognition

  • Walking while your movement is recorded using a motion capture system

Compensation

  • Compensation is available for successful completion of the study visits

Medical cost coverage

  • None

Why participate?

Contribute to developing more effective #walking #interventions for persons post-stroke.

Eligibility

Must have

  • - Ages 18-90
  • - 6 months or more post-stroke
  • - Able to walk on treadmill for at least 5 minutes
  • - Paresis confined to one side

Can't have

  • - Damage to pons, basal ganglia, or cerebellum
  • - Signs of cerebellar involvement or extrapyramidal symptoms
  • - Uncontrolled hypertension (>160/100mmHg)
  • - Concurrent physical therapy
  • - Orthopedic or pain conditions that affect walking

About This Study

Walking impairments remain in over 85% of stroke survivors. Biofeedback-based gait training is typically employed to treat walking pattern impairments while aerobic exercise intensity-based gait training is the current gold-standard to treat walking activity limitations. We propose to test the impact of combining these approaches into a single intervention to work toward the development of a more effective, comprehensive approach to gait rehabilitation for individuals post-stroke.  

Study Team

Photohandler
Principal Investigator
Kristan Leech

For questions about this study, contact:

  • Principal Investigator Kristan Leech, PT, DPT, PhD
  • Division of Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy, 1540 Alcazar St Los Angeles CA 90033
  • 323-442-1196
  • gaitrehablab@pt.usc.edu
  • IRB number: HS-20-00452-2
  • Study posted on: August 1, 2022
  • Recruitment period: 8/8/2020-12/31/22

Research study materials

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