Immediate effects of force feedback and plantar somatosensory stimuli on inter-limb coordination during perturbed walking

Yufeng Zhang, Karen J. Nolan, Damiano Zanotto

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contributionpeer-review

6 Scopus citations

Abstract

Single-sided motor weakness, also known as hemiparesis, is the most prevalent gait impairment among stroke survivors, which often results in gait asymmetry. Studies on robot-assisted gait training (RAGT) have shown positive effects of force feedback on spatial symmetry; somatosensory stimulation is thought to facilitate recovery of temporal symmetry. Despite the known importance of sensorimotor integration for motor recovery, interventions that incorporate RAGT and somatosensory stimuli have been largely overlooked so far. In this paper, we explore how gait symmetry can be restored in healthy subjects following unilateral foot perturbations, using adaptive assistive forces and plantar vibrotactile stimuli provided by a bilateral powered ankle-foot orthosis. Results suggest that combined force feedback and vibrotactile stimuli may be more effective than force feedback alone in reducing spatial asymmetry. Further, force feedback did not produce significant improvements in temporal symmetry, unlike the combined modality. We discuss possible implications of these preliminary findings for future training paradigms for RAGT.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publication2019 IEEE 16th International Conference on Rehabilitation Robotics, ICORR 2019
Pages252-257
Number of pages6
ISBN (Electronic)9781728127552
DOIs
StatePublished - Jun 2019
Event16th IEEE International Conference on Rehabilitation Robotics, ICORR 2019 - Toronto, Canada
Duration: 24 Jun 201928 Jun 2019

Publication series

NameIEEE International Conference on Rehabilitation Robotics
Volume2019-June
ISSN (Print)1945-7898
ISSN (Electronic)1945-7901

Conference

Conference16th IEEE International Conference on Rehabilitation Robotics, ICORR 2019
Country/TerritoryCanada
CityToronto
Period24/06/1928/06/19

Keywords

  • Gait symmetry
  • Inter-limb coordination
  • Powered orthoses
  • Robot-assisted gait training
  • Somatosensory stimuli
  • Wearable robotics

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