Quantifying Gait Impairment Using an Instrumented Treadmill in People with Multiple Sclerosis

Abstract

Background and Objective. Treadmill gait analysis has been proposed as an attractive alternative for overground walking measuring systems. The purpose of this study was twofold: first to determine spatiotemporal parameters of treadmill gait in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and second to examine whether these parameters are associated with specific functional impairments in this cohort. Method. Eighty-seven relapsing-remitting patients diagnosed with MS, 50 women and 37 men, aged 40.9 ± 11.9 with an expanded disability status scale (EDSS) score of 2.7 ± 1.6, participated in this study. Twenty-five apparently healthy subjects, 14 women and 11 men, aged 38.5 ± 9.4, served as controls. Spatiotemporal gait parameters were obtained using the Zebris FDM-T Treadmill (Zebris Medical GmbH, Germany). People with MS demonstrated significantly shorter steps, extended stride time, wider base of support, longer step time, reduced single support phase, and a prolonged double support phase compared to the healthy controls. The EDSS score was significantly correlated with all spatiotemporal gait parameters. Conclusion. The instrumented treadmill may be an effective tool in assessing ambulation capabilities of people with MS.

The “butterfly diagram”: A gait marker for neurological and cerebellar impairment in people with multiple sclerosis

“…Correlation between the symmetry gait parameter to the EDSS score was 0.241 (P b 0.001) and 0.147 (P = 0.007) with the cerebellar function level. The current study's correlation results are similar to those presented in our previous report of 87 PwMS [17].…”

“…An advantage of this device is that it measures walking over relatively long distances, possibly reflecting the fatigue component common in PwMS. In our previous report, we demonstrated that spatiotemporal gait parameters, collected by the instrumented treadmill, serve as valid markers of neurological impairment in the MS population [17].…”

Do Textured Insoles Affect Postural Control and Spatiotemporal Parameters of Gait and Plantar Sensation in People With Multiple Sclerosis?

“…Recently, the instrumented treadmill has been found to be an appropriate tool for assessing ambulation capabilities in people with MS. Furthermore, spatiotemporal gait parameters collected by this device during walking seem to be valid markers of neurological impairment in the MS population [30].…”

Image processing based foot plantar pressure distribution analysis and modeling

“…Nowadays, the majority of researchers who adopts the plantar pressure to analyze the data are using electronic sensor based systems. These sensors can be in different configurations such as; mat [10][11][12], in-sole [13,14] and treadmill [15,16]. Conventionally however, these sensors lack the required resolution to measure or predict the pressure of small regions, such as the toes.…”