Robot gait training has the potential to increase the effectiveness of walking therapy. Clinical outcomes after robotic training are often not superior to conventional therapy. We evaluated the effectiveness of a robot training compared with a usual gait training physiotherapy during a standardized rehabilitation protocol in inpatient participants with poststroke hemiparesis. This was a randomi...

PURPOSE Subjects with post-stroke hemiparesis frequently present with asymmetric gait patterns. Symmetry, reflecting similarities in temporospatial, kinematic parameters, is an important measure of gait assessment. The study was designed to examine the relationships between asymmetry of temporal, spatial and kinematic gait parameters and walking velocity and distance. METHODS Temporospatial a...

PURPOSE To trace the socio-functional and clinical profiles of elders with moderate levels of movement functionality as determined by the Performance-Oriented Mobility Assessment (POMA Ia), and to compare the groups having high and moderate levels of functionality regarding the frequency of falls and identifiable risk factors. METHODS The research involved 49 elders (with an average age of 71...

[Purpose] This study investigated the short-term effects of a combination therapy consisting of repetitive facilitative exercises and orthotic treatment. [Subjects and Methods] The subjects were chronic post-stroke patients (n=27; 24 males and 3 females; 59.3 ± 12.4 years old; duration after onset: 35.7 ± 28.9 months) with limited mobility and motor function. Each subject received combination t...

A relationship between decline in mobility and walking performance and cognitive impairment exists in the elderly. Therefore, clinical assessment of gait and mobility may be relevant for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. However, the rating scales used for evaluation of gait disorder in the context of cognitive deterioration were not designed or validated for that setting. The present study ...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The Functional Gait Assessment (FGA) is a 10-item gait assessment based on the Dynamic Gait Index. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the reliability, internal consistency, and validity of data obtained with the FGA when used with people with vestibular disorders. SUBJECTS Seven physical therapists from various practice settings, 3 physical therapist students, an...

Gait disorders predict functional decline in older adults. They are often the result of multiple causes, so a full assessment should consider different sensorimotor levels and should include a focused physical examination and evaluation of functional performance. Exercise and medical and surgical interventions are effective and can reduce the degree of gait disorder, but usually not without som...

In order to assess functional skills of older adults, both timed up and go (TUG) test and gait speed (GS) test are well validated concerning their predictive capacities. However, the question remains unclear which one of these tests represents better the whole physical performance of older adults. The aim of this study is to determine the more representative test, between TUG and GS, of the who...

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to compare the balance and gait functions of children with Down syndrome and typically developing children according to age. [Subjects and Methods] The subjects were 16 children with Down syndrome and 20 children with typical development. The one leg standing test, Romberg's test (open eyes/closed eyes), sharpened Romberg's (open eyes/closed eyes), functi...