A Conceptual Model for Gait Maintenance in Patients with Diabetes

Advisor Information

Ka-Chun Siu

Location

Dr. C.C. and Mabel L. Criss Library

Presentation Type

Poster

Start Date

6-3-2015 2:00 PM

End Date

6-3-2015 3:30 PM

Abstract

Sensory systems including visual perception, somatosensory and vestibular sensation are well integrated in healthy people during walking. However, people who suffer from sensory deficits due to diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) bear the risk of instability and the incidence of fall. Therefore, we proposed a conceptual model that depicts how patients with diabetes would utilize their sensory systems to maintain a stable gait. This model contextualized: 1) Patients with DPN would adjust their foot placement by the central nervous system where the sensory feedback mainly received from visual and vestibular perception; 2) Patients with DPN would primarily rely on visual system to maintain their balance during walking. Literature has reported that visual perception as an important factor modulates walking. Therefore, a preliminary study was conducted to demonstrate how the visual perception impacts on gait maintenance among healthy adults, patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) and DPN. Two healthy adults, three patients DM, and one patient with DPN were recruited. All participants were instructed to walk on a treadmill with a moving virtual corridor presented ahead. The spatiotemporal gait characteristics and the measurement of gait variability (i.e. coefficient of variation, CV) were analyzed and compared between the conditions with or without the virtual environment. The perceived visual information (the presence of moving virtual corridor) significantly impacted gait by increasing the CV of stride length (p= 0.02) in DM patients, and this phenomenon was shown substantially in the DPN patient. More participants were warranted to confirm the results and to distinguish the group differences.

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Mar 6th, 2:00 PM Mar 6th, 3:30 PM

A Conceptual Model for Gait Maintenance in Patients with Diabetes

Dr. C.C. and Mabel L. Criss Library

Sensory systems including visual perception, somatosensory and vestibular sensation are well integrated in healthy people during walking. However, people who suffer from sensory deficits due to diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) bear the risk of instability and the incidence of fall. Therefore, we proposed a conceptual model that depicts how patients with diabetes would utilize their sensory systems to maintain a stable gait. This model contextualized: 1) Patients with DPN would adjust their foot placement by the central nervous system where the sensory feedback mainly received from visual and vestibular perception; 2) Patients with DPN would primarily rely on visual system to maintain their balance during walking. Literature has reported that visual perception as an important factor modulates walking. Therefore, a preliminary study was conducted to demonstrate how the visual perception impacts on gait maintenance among healthy adults, patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) and DPN. Two healthy adults, three patients DM, and one patient with DPN were recruited. All participants were instructed to walk on a treadmill with a moving virtual corridor presented ahead. The spatiotemporal gait characteristics and the measurement of gait variability (i.e. coefficient of variation, CV) were analyzed and compared between the conditions with or without the virtual environment. The perceived visual information (the presence of moving virtual corridor) significantly impacted gait by increasing the CV of stride length (p= 0.02) in DM patients, and this phenomenon was shown substantially in the DPN patient. More participants were warranted to confirm the results and to distinguish the group differences.