| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |
|
|
|
|||||||
|
|||||||||
Research Reports |
L Finch, MSc(Rehab), is Neuro-coordinator, Department of Physiotherapy, Montreal Neurological Institute.
H Barbeau, PhD, PT, is Associate Professor, School of Physical and Occupational Therapy, McGill University, 3654 Drummond St, Montreal, Quebec, Canada H3G 1Y5. He is also Chercheur Boursier of the Fonds de la Recherche en Santé du Québec.
B Arsenault, PhD, PT, is Associate Professor, Ecole de Réadaption, Faculté de Médicine, Université de Montréal, and Research Center, Montreal Rehabilitation Institute, 6300 Darlington Ave, Montreal, Quebec, Canada H3S 2J4.
The recovery of locomotion, following interactive training with graded weight support, in the adult spinal cat has led to the proposal that removal of body weight may be a therapeutic tool in human gait retraining. There would be benefits, however, in knowing normal responses of humans to partial weight bearing before applying this strategy to patients. In this study, 10 nondisabled male subjects walked on a treadmill while 0%, 30%, 50%, and 70% of their body weight was supported by a modified climbing harness. To dissociate the changes attributable to walking speed from those attributable to body weight, each subject walked at the specified body-weight-support (BWS) levels and at full weight bearing (FWB) at the same speed. Simultaneously, electromyographic data from the right leg muscles, footswitch signals, and video recording of joint motion were collected. The FWB and BWS gaits appeared similar, except at the highest level of BWS studied (ie, 70% of BWS). Significant differences among other BWS and FWB trials at comparable speeds included decreases in percentage of stance, percentage of total double-limb support time, and maximum hip and knee flexor swing angle. Other adaptations to BWS were a reduction in the mean burst amplitude of the muscles that are active during stance and an increase in the mean burst amplitude of the tibialis anterior muscle. The possible implications of this new gait retraining strategy for patients with neurological impairment are discussed.
Key Words: Body weight support • Electromyography • Gait • Kinematics
Related Article
CiteULike 
Complore 
Connotea 
Del.icio.us 
Digg 
Reddit 
Technorati What's this?
Physical Therapy 1991 71: 855-856.
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  J.-C. Lamy, C. Iglesias, A. Lackmy, J. B. Nielsen, R. Katz, and V. Marchand-Pauvert Modulation of recurrent inhibition from knee extensors to ankle motoneurones during human walking J. Physiol., December 15, 2008; 586(24): 5931 - 5946. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 J. K. De Witt, R. D. Hagan, and R. L. Cromwell The effect of increasing inertia upon vertical ground reaction forces and temporal kinematics during locomotion J. Exp. Biol., April 1, 2008; 211(7): 1087 - 1092. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 B. Giesser, J. Beres-Jones, A. Budovitch, E. Herlihy, and S. Harkema Locomotor training using body weight support on a treadmill improves mobility in persons with multiple sclerosis: a pilot study Multiple Sclerosis, March 1, 2007; 13(2): 224 - 231. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 A. Cutuk, E. R. Groppo, E. J. Quigley, K. W. White, R. A. Pedowitz, and A. R. Hargens Ambulation in simulated fractional gravity using lower body positive pressure: cardiovascular safety and gait analyses J Appl Physiol, September 1, 2006; 101(3): 771 - 777. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
Y. P. Ivanenko, R. E. Poppele, and F. Lacquaniti Five basic muscle activation patterns account for muscle activity during human locomotion J. Physiol., April 1, 2004; 556(1): 267 - 282. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 Y. P. Ivanenko, R. Grasso, V. Macellari, and F. Lacquaniti Control of Foot Trajectory in Human Locomotion: Role of Ground Contact Forces in Simulated Reduced Gravity J Neurophysiol, June 1, 2002; 87(6): 3070 - 3089. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 E. W. Miller, M. E Quinn, and P. G. Seddon Body Weight Support Treadmill and Overground Ambulation Training for Two Patients With Chronic Disability Secondary to Stroke Physical Therapy, January 1, 2002; 82(1): 53 - 61. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
M. MacKay-Lyons, L. Makrides, and S. Speth Effect of 15% Body Weight Support on Exercise Capacity of Adults Without Impairments Physical Therapy, November 1, 2001; 81(11): 1790 - 1800. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
D. P Ferris, P. Aagaard, E. B Simonsen, C. T Farley, and P. Dyhre-Poulsen Soleus H-reflex gain in humans walking and running under simulated reduced gravity J. Physiol., January 1, 2001; 530(1): 167 - 180. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
E. C. Field-Fote Spinal Cord Control of Movement: Implications for Locomotor Rehabilitation Following Spinal Cord Injury Physical Therapy, May 1, 2000; 80(5): 477 - 484. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 R. Shepherd and J. Carr Treadmill Walking in Neurorehabilitation Neurorehabil Neural Repair, September 1, 1999; 13(3): 171 - 173. [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
S. J. Harkema, S. L. Hurley, U. K. Patel, P. S. Requejo, B. H. Dobkin, and V. R. Edgerton Human Lumbosacral Spinal Cord Interprets Loading During Stepping J Neurophysiol, February 1, 1997; 77(2): 797 - 811. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
S. Hesse, B. Helm, J. Krajnik, M. Gregoric, and K.H. Mauritz Treadmill Training with Partial Body Weight Support: Influence of Body Weight Release on the Gait of Hemiparetic Patients Neurorehabil Neural Repair, January 1, 1997; 11(1): 15 - 20. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
E. Hassid, D. Rose, J. Commisarow, M. Guttry, and B. H. Dobkin Improved Gait Symmetry in Hemiparetic Stroke Patients Induced During Body Weight-Supported Treadmill Stepping Neurorehabil Neural Repair, January 1, 1997; 11(1): 21 - 26. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |
