Passive exoskeleton enhanced temporal component of gait adaptation in split-belt adaptation task
Advisor Information
Mukul Mukherjee
Location
UNO Criss Library, Room 225
Presentation Type
Oral Presentation
Start Date
2-3-2018 10:45 AM
End Date
2-3-2018 11:00 AM
Abstract
Unilateral sensorimotor pathologies like stroke can cause gait asymmetry. This challenge can be countered using assistive devices such as an exoskeleton. While researches have investigated the benefits of exoskeleton use on gait patterns in general, it is still unclear how such devices assist gait adaptation. This is important because diseases like stroke, substantially impair adaptation, such that recovery becomes difficult. Therefore, this study aimed to determine characteristic gait adaptation patterns that result from exoskeleton usage during a split-belt adaptation task.
Eighteen participants were assigned to an exoskeleton or a non-exoskeleton group. Individuals in the EXO group wore a passive exoskeleton on their right leg. All participants performed a split-belt adaptation task on the treadmill. Participants self-selected their preferred walking speed and fast walking speed. Slow walking speed was calculated as half of the FWS. For the split-belt task, the ratio of fast belt to slow belt was 2:1. Spatiotemporal variables were calculated to quantify adaptation. For each variable, symmetry was quantified using symmetry indices (SI). For adaptation analysis, trials were divided into the early adaptation (EA), late adaptation (LA), de-adaptation (DA), and transfer effect (TR).
In spatial variables, group and interaction effects were significant only for the DA condition. However, group, condition and interaction effects were significant for EA, LA and DA for temporal variables, especially stance time. These results showed that the exoskeleton-assisted gait adaptation affects temporal components more than the spatial components. In conclusion, characteristic gait adaptation patterns emerged when split-belt adaptation was performed with passive exoskeleton assistance.
Passive exoskeleton enhanced temporal component of gait adaptation in split-belt adaptation task
UNO Criss Library, Room 225
Unilateral sensorimotor pathologies like stroke can cause gait asymmetry. This challenge can be countered using assistive devices such as an exoskeleton. While researches have investigated the benefits of exoskeleton use on gait patterns in general, it is still unclear how such devices assist gait adaptation. This is important because diseases like stroke, substantially impair adaptation, such that recovery becomes difficult. Therefore, this study aimed to determine characteristic gait adaptation patterns that result from exoskeleton usage during a split-belt adaptation task.
Eighteen participants were assigned to an exoskeleton or a non-exoskeleton group. Individuals in the EXO group wore a passive exoskeleton on their right leg. All participants performed a split-belt adaptation task on the treadmill. Participants self-selected their preferred walking speed and fast walking speed. Slow walking speed was calculated as half of the FWS. For the split-belt task, the ratio of fast belt to slow belt was 2:1. Spatiotemporal variables were calculated to quantify adaptation. For each variable, symmetry was quantified using symmetry indices (SI). For adaptation analysis, trials were divided into the early adaptation (EA), late adaptation (LA), de-adaptation (DA), and transfer effect (TR).
In spatial variables, group and interaction effects were significant only for the DA condition. However, group, condition and interaction effects were significant for EA, LA and DA for temporal variables, especially stance time. These results showed that the exoskeleton-assisted gait adaptation affects temporal components more than the spatial components. In conclusion, characteristic gait adaptation patterns emerged when split-belt adaptation was performed with passive exoskeleton assistance.