Publications by authors named "S L Ettema"
Article Synopsis
- The RYSEN body weight support device allows for versatile overground gait training and can be enhanced with augmented reality (RYSEN-AR), aiming to compare it with conventional gait training (CGT) in rehabilitation settings.
- Eleven stroke and spinal cord injury patients participated in the study, where their training intensity was monitored through heart rate and trunk accelerometry, while they provided feedback on their balance confidence and training experiences.
- Results showed no significant differences in training intensity or goals between RYSEN/RYSEN-AR and CGT, but confidence in balance control was notably higher with RYSEN-AR, indicating the need for further research on maximizing the benefits of RYSEN in rehabilitation.
Background: Individuals after stroke walk with different step parameters and consequently with different margins of stability compared to able-bodied peers. These differences might be a side effect of lower preferred walking speeds or primary limitations in regulating step parameters and margins of stability after stroke.
Methods: Twenty-eight individuals after stroke (separated into more impaired and less impaired based on speed) and fourteen able-bodied peers completed five walking trials on an instrumented treadmill at 70 %, 85 %, 100 %, 115 %, and 130 % of their preferred speed.
Background: Body weight support (BWS) training devices are frequently used to improve gait in individuals with neurological impairments, but guidance in selecting an appropriate level of BWS is limited. Here, we aim to describe the initial BWS levels used during gait training, the rationale for this selection and the clinical goals aligned with BWS training for different diagnoses.
Method: A systematic literature search was conducted in PubMed, Embase and Web of Science, including terms related to the population (individuals with neurological disorders), intervention (BWS training) and outcome (gait).
Fatigue-related gait adaptations in children with cerebral palsy.
Dev Med Child Neurol
December 2023
Aim: To obtain insights into the effects of fatigue on the kinematics, kinetics, and energy cost of walking (ECoW) in children with cerebral palsy (CP).
Method: In this prospective observational study, 12 children with CP (mean age 12 years 9 months, SD 2 years 7 months; four females, eight males) and 15 typically developing children (mean age 10 years 8 months, SD 2 years 4 months; seven females, eight males) followed a prolonged intensity-based walking protocol on an instrumented treadmill, combined with gas analysis measurements. The protocol consisted of consecutive stages, including a 6-minute walking exercise (6MW) at comfortable speed, 2 minutes of moderate-intensity walking (MIW) (with a heart rate > 70% of its predicted maximal), and 4 minutes walking after MIW.
Background: Muscle fatigue of the lower limbs is considered a main contributor to the perceived fatigue in children with cerebral palsy (CP) and is expected to occur during prolonged walking. In adults without disabilities, muscle fatigue has been proposed to be associated with adaptations in complexity of neuromuscular control.
Research Question: What are the effects of prolonged walking on signs of muscle fatigue and complexity of neuromuscular control in children with CP?
Methods: Ten children with CP and fifteen typically developing (TD) children performed a standardised protocol on an instrumented treadmill consisting of three stages: six-minutes walking at preferred speed (6 MW), moderate-intensity walking (MIW, with two minutes at heart rate > 70% of predicted maximal heart rate) and four-minutes walking at preferred speed (post-MIW).