Lower limb muscle activity underlying temporal gait asymmetry post-stroke.

Clin Neurophysiol

Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada; Rehabilitation Sciences Institute, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada; Department of Physical Therapy, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.

Published: August 2020

Objective: Asymmetric walking after stroke is common, detrimental, and difficult to treat, but current knowledge of underlying physiological mechanisms is limited. This study investigated electromyographic (EMG) features of temporal gait asymmetry (TGA).

Methods: Participants post-stroke with or without TGA and control adults (n = 27, 8, and 9, respectively) performed self-paced overground gait trials. EMG, force plate, and motion capture data were collected. Lower limb muscle activity was compared across groups and sides (more/less affected).

Results: Significant group by side interaction effects were found: more affected plantarflexor stance activity ended early (p = .0006) and less affected dorsiflexor on/off time was delayed (p < .01) in persons with asymmetry compared to symmetric and normative controls. The TGA group exhibited fewer dorsiflexor bursts during swing (p = .0009).

Conclusions: Temporal patterns of muscular activation, particularly about the ankle around the stance-to-swing transition period, are associated with TGA. The results may reflect specific impairments or compensations that affect locomotor coordination.

Significance: Neuromuscular underpinnings of spatiotemporal asymmetry have not been previously characterized. These novel findings may inform targeted therapeutic strategies to improve gait quality after stroke.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.clinph.2020.04.171DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

lower limb
8
limb muscle
8
muscle activity
8
temporal gait
8
gait asymmetry
8
activity underlying
4
underlying temporal
4
asymmetry post-stroke
4
post-stroke objective
4
objective asymmetric
4

Similar Publications

Purpose: This study investigated how obstacle contrast altered gait behavior of healthy younger and older adults.

Methods: Twenty normally sighted adults, 11 older (mean [standard deviation] age, 68.1 [5.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Knee valgus loading is thought to be an important contributor to noncontact anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries, but the effects of training programs focusing on decreasing knee valgus loading on lower extremity biomechanics with respect to ACL injury risk remain unclear. Thus, this study aimed to examine the effect of strength training designed to strengthen the medial thigh muscles on lower extremity joint kinematics, kinetics and muscle activity during single-leg landing.

Methods: A total of 35 healthy participants randomly conducted either exercises targeting medial thigh muscles (intervention group) or exercises that did not target specific lower extremity muscles (control group).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Chronic limb-threatening ischemia (CLTI) in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) has a high risk of poor outcomes. We aimed to compare the outcomes of lower extremity revascularization in patients with CLTI stratified by CKD severity in patients enrolled in the prospective, randomized Best Endovascular vs Best Surgical Therapy in Patients with CLTI (BEST-CLI) trial.

Methods: The BEST-CLI trial dataset was queried to categorize patients into three groups according to CKD stage.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background/objectives: The underlying mechanisms of taekwondo-specific jumping ability among different competition levels are still unknown. This study aimed to compare vertical and horizontal stretch-shortening cycle (SSC) performance between athletes of different competitive levels and examine the relationships of force and power production abilities between those two directions in Taiwanese collegiate-level male taekwondo athletes.

Methods: Seventeen male collegiate taekwondo athletes were divided into two groups: medalists (MG, n = 8) and non-medalists (NMG, n = 9); both groups performed countermovement jumps (CMJ) on a force platform and single-leg lateral hops (SLLHs) via an optoelectronic measurement system.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The goal of medial open-wedge high tibial osteotomy (MOW-HTO) is to redistribute load by realigning the lower limb. This surgery is indicated for mild to moderate medial compartment osteoarthritis with varus deformity in cases unresponsive to conservative treatment. Procedures for accompanying cartilage lesions, such as multiple drilling on the medial femoral condyle (MFC), are often performed simultaneously, potentially affecting bone metabolism along with load redistribution and union progression.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!