Exp Brain Res (2015) 233:1007–1018 DOI 10.1007/s00221-014-4175-7
RESEARCH ARTICLE
Improved gait adjustments after gait adaptability training are associated with reduced attentional demands in persons with stroke Mariëlle W. van Ooijen · Anita Heeren · Katrijn Smulders · Alexander C. H. Geurts · Thomas W. J. Janssen · Peter J. Beek · Vivian Weerdesteyn · Melvyn Roerdink
Received: 11 September 2014 / Accepted: 4 December 2014 / Published online: 24 December 2014 © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2014
Abstract After stroke, the ability to make step adjustments during walking is reduced and requires more attention, which may cause problems during community walking. The C-Mill is an innovative treadmill augmented with visual context (e.g., obstacles and stepping targets), which was designed specifically to practice gait adaptability. The objective of this study was to determine whether C-Mill gait adaptability training can help to improve gait adjustments and associated attentional demands. Sixteen community-ambulating persons in the chronic stage of stroke (age: 54.8 ± 10.8 years) received ten sessions of C-Mill training within 5–6 weeks. Prior to and after the intervention period, participants performed an obstacle-avoidance task with and without a secondary attention-demanding auditory Stroop task to assess their ability to make gait adjustments (i.e., Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s00221-014-4175-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users. M. W. van Ooijen (*) · T. W. J. Janssen · P. J. Beek · M. Roerdink MOVE Research Institute Amsterdam, Faculty of Human Movement Sciences, VU University Amsterdam, Van der Boechorststraat 9, 1081 BT Amsterdam, The Netherlands e-mail: m.van.ooijen‑[email protected] M. W. van Ooijen · T. W. J. Janssen Amsterdam Rehabilitation Research Center | Reade, Overtoom 283, 1054 HW Amsterdam, The Netherlands A. Heeren · A. C. H. Geurts · V. Weerdesteyn Department of Rehabilitation, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Centre, PO Box 9101, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands A. Heeren · A. C. H. Geurts Sint Maartenskliniek, Centre for Rehabilitation, PO Box 9011, 6500 GM Nijmegen, The Netherlands
obstacle-avoidance success rates) as well as the associated attentional demands (i.e., Stroop success rates, stratified for pre-crossing, crossing, and post-crossing strides). Obstacle-avoidance success rates improved after C-Mill training from 52.4 ± 16.3 % at pretest to 77.0 ± 16.4 % at posttest (p
RESEARCH ARTICLE
Improved gait adjustments after gait adaptability training are associated with reduced attentional demands in persons with stroke Mariëlle W. van Ooijen · Anita Heeren · Katrijn Smulders · Alexander C. H. Geurts · Thomas W. J. Janssen · Peter J. Beek · Vivian Weerdesteyn · Melvyn Roerdink
Received: 11 September 2014 / Accepted: 4 December 2014 / Published online: 24 December 2014 © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2014
Abstract After stroke, the ability to make step adjustments during walking is reduced and requires more attention, which may cause problems during community walking. The C-Mill is an innovative treadmill augmented with visual context (e.g., obstacles and stepping targets), which was designed specifically to practice gait adaptability. The objective of this study was to determine whether C-Mill gait adaptability training can help to improve gait adjustments and associated attentional demands. Sixteen community-ambulating persons in the chronic stage of stroke (age: 54.8 ± 10.8 years) received ten sessions of C-Mill training within 5–6 weeks. Prior to and after the intervention period, participants performed an obstacle-avoidance task with and without a secondary attention-demanding auditory Stroop task to assess their ability to make gait adjustments (i.e., Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s00221-014-4175-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users. M. W. van Ooijen (*) · T. W. J. Janssen · P. J. Beek · M. Roerdink MOVE Research Institute Amsterdam, Faculty of Human Movement Sciences, VU University Amsterdam, Van der Boechorststraat 9, 1081 BT Amsterdam, The Netherlands e-mail: m.van.ooijen‑[email protected] M. W. van Ooijen · T. W. J. Janssen Amsterdam Rehabilitation Research Center | Reade, Overtoom 283, 1054 HW Amsterdam, The Netherlands A. Heeren · A. C. H. Geurts · V. Weerdesteyn Department of Rehabilitation, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Centre, PO Box 9101, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands A. Heeren · A. C. H. Geurts Sint Maartenskliniek, Centre for Rehabilitation, PO Box 9011, 6500 GM Nijmegen, The Netherlands
obstacle-avoidance success rates) as well as the associated attentional demands (i.e., Stroop success rates, stratified for pre-crossing, crossing, and post-crossing strides). Obstacle-avoidance success rates improved after C-Mill training from 52.4 ± 16.3 % at pretest to 77.0 ± 16.4 % at posttest (p
