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In patients with idiopathic normal-pressure hydrocephalus responsive to CSF drainage, shunting improved gait and balance at 3 months, but not cognition or incontinence, and was associated with some procedure-related risks.

Gait disorders represent a therapeutic challenge in Parkinson’s disease (PD). This study investigated the efficacy of 4-week action observation training (AOT) on disease severity, freezing of gait and motor abilities in PD, and evaluated treatment-related brain functional changes. 25 PD patients with freezing of gait were randomized into two groups: AOT (action observation combined with practicing the observed actions) and “Landscape” (same physical training combined with landscape-videos observation). At baseline and 4-week, patients underwent clinical evaluation and fMRI. Clinical assessment was repeated at 8-week. At 4-week, both groups showed reduced freezing of gait severity, improved walking speed and quality of life. Moreover, AOT was associated with reduced motor disability and improved balance. AOT group showed a sustained positive effect on motor disability, walking speed, balance and quality of life at 8-week, with a trend toward a persisting reduced freezing of gait severity. At 4-week vs. baseline, AOT group showed increased recruitment of fronto-parietal areas during fMRI tasks, while the Landscape group showed a reduced fMRI activity of the left postcentral and inferior parietal gyri and right rolandic operculum and supramarginal gyrus. In AOT group, functional brain changes were associated with clinical improvements at 4-week and predicted clinical evolution at 8-week. AOT has a more lasting effect in improving motor function, gait and quality of life in PD patients relative to physical therapy alone. AOT-related performance gains are associated with an increased recruitment of motor regions and fronto-parietal mirror neuron and attentional control areas.

Many people with chronic stroke (PwCS) exhibit deficits in step width modulation, an important strategy for walking balance. A single exposure to swing leg perturbations can temporarily strengthen this modulation. The objective of this parallel, double-blinded, randomized controlled trial was to investigate whether repeated perturbations cause sustained increases in step modulation (NCT02964039; funded by the VA). 54 PwCS at the Medical University of South Carolina were randomly assigned to one of three intervention groups: Control (n = 18), with minimal forces; Assistive (n = 18), pushing the swing leg toward a mechanically appropriate location; Perturbing (n = 18), pushing the swing leg away from a mechanically appropriate location. All intervention groups included 24 training sessions over 12-weeks with up to 30-minutes of treadmill walking while interfaced with a novel force-field and a 12-week follow-up period, with five interspersed assessment sessions. Our primary outcome measure was paretic step width modulation, the partial correlation between step width and pelvis displacement (ρ SW ). Secondarily, we quantified swing and stance leg contributions to step modulation, clinical assessments of walking balance and confidence, and real-world falls. Outcomes were analyzed for participants who completed all assessment sessions (n = 44). Only the Perturbing group exhibited significant increases in paretic ρ SW , which were present after 4-weeks of training and sustained through follow-up (t = 2.42–3.17). These changes were due to improved control of paretic swing leg positioning. However, perturbation-induced changes in step modulation were not always significantly greater than those in the Control group, and clinical assessments were similar across intervention groups. Participants in the Perturbing group experienced a lower fall rate than those in the Control group (incidence rate ratio = 0.53), although our small sample size warrants caution. The present results indicate that perturbations can cause sustained modifications of targeted biomechanical characteristics of post-stroke gait, although such changes alone may be insufficient to change more complex clinical assessments.

Background Impaired balance and gait in stroke survivors are associated with decreased functional independence. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of unilateral lower-limb exoskeleton robot-assisted overground gait training compared with conventional treatment and to explore the relationship between neuroplastic changes and motor function recovery in subacute stroke patients. Methods In this randomized, single-blind clinical trial, 40 patients with subacute stroke were recruited and randomly assigned to either a robot-assisted training (RT) group or a conventional training (CT) group. All outcome measures were assessed at the enrollment baseline (T0), 2nd week (T1) and 4th week (T2) of the treatment. The primary outcome was the between-group difference in the change in the Berg balance scale (BBS) score from baseline to T2. The secondary measures included longitudinal changes in the Fugl-Meyer assessment of the lower limb (FMA-LE), modified Barthel index (mBI), functional ambulation category (FAC), and locomotion assessment with gait analysis. In addition, the cortical activation pattern related to robot-assisted training was measured before and after intervention via functional near-infrared spectroscopy. Results A total of 30 patients with complete data were included in this study. Clinical outcomes improved after 4 weeks of training in both groups, with significantly better BBS (F = 6.341, p  = 0.018, partial η2 = 0.185), FMA-LE (F = 5.979, p  = 0.021, partial η2 = 0.176), FAC (F = 7.692, p  = 0.010, partial η2 = 0.216), and mBI scores (F = 7.255, p  = 0.042, partial η2 = 0.140) in the RT group than in the CT group. Both groups showed significant improvement in gait speed and stride cadence on the locomotion assessment. Only the RT group presented a significantly increased stride length (F = 4.913, p  = 0.015, partial η2 = 0.267), support phase (F = 5.335, p  = 0.011, partial η2 = 0.283), and toe-off angle (F = 3.829, p  = 0.035, partial η2 = 0.228) on the affected side after the intervention. The RT group also showed increased neural activity response over the ipsilesional motor area and bilateral prefrontal cortex during robot-assisted weight-shift and gait training following 4 weeks of treatment. Conclusions Overground gait training with a unilateral exoskeleton robot showed improvements in balance and gait functions, resulting in better gait patterns and increased gait stability for stroke patients. The increased cortical response related to the ipsilesional motor areas and their related functional network is crucial in the rehabilitation of lower limb gait in post-stroke patients.

Idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH) causing gait impairment, dementia and urinary incontinence among the elderly, is probably under-diagnosed and under-treated. Despite being known since the 1960s, there is still a lack of prospective, population-based studies on the prevalence of iNPH. Such studies are warranted to minimize selection bias and estimate the true prevalence of the disease. The prevalence of iNPH was determined in a randomly selected sample of residents, aged 65 years and older, in the Swedish county of Jämtland. Out of 1,000 individuals invited to participate, 673 (67.3%) completed a questionnaire with seven questions on iNPH symptoms. A subgroup, with and without self-reported symptoms, participated in clinical and radiological evaluations and were diagnosed according to international guidelines. Measurement of cerebrospinal fluid opening pressure was not performed as it was considered too invasive. Those who reported at least two symptoms in the questionnaire (n = 117) and 51 randomly selected individuals with 0-1 symptom participated in further examinations. Out of them, 25 individuals received the diagnosis probable iNPH according to American-European guidelines (except for the criterion of CSF opening pressure) corresponding to a prevalence of 3.7%. The prevalence of iNPH was four times higher among those aged 80 years and older (8.9%) than among those aged 65-79 years (2.1%) (p <0.001). The difference in prevalence between men (4.6%) and women (2.9%) was not significant (p = 0.24). When iNPH was diagnosed according to the Japanese guidelines the prevalence was 1.5. In this prospective, population-based study the prevalence of iNPH was 3.7% among individuals 65 years and older, and more common in the higher age group, 80 years and above. INPH should be increasingly recognized since it is a fairly common condition and an important cause of gait impairment and dementia among the elderly that can be effectively treated by shunt surgery.

Background The use of neurorobotic devices may improve gait recovery by entraining specific brain plasticity mechanisms, which may be a key issue for successful rehabilitation using such approach. We assessed whether the wearable exoskeleton, Ekso™, could get higher gait performance than conventional overground gait training (OGT) in patients with hemiparesis due to stroke in a chronic phase, and foster the recovery of specific brain plasticity mechanisms. Methods We enrolled forty patients in a prospective, pre-post, randomized clinical study. Twenty patients underwent Ekso™ gait training (EGT) (45-min/session, five times/week), in addition to overground gait therapy, whilst 20 patients practiced an OGT of the same duration. All individuals were evaluated about gait performance (10 m walking test), gait cycle, muscle activation pattern (by recording surface electromyography from lower limb muscles), frontoparietal effective connectivity (FPEC) by using EEG, cortico-spinal excitability (CSE), and sensory-motor integration (SMI) from both primary motor areas by using Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation paradigm before and after the gait training. Results A significant effect size was found in the EGT-induced improvement in the 10 m walking test (d = 0.9, p  < 0.001), CSE in the affected side (d = 0.7, p  = 0.001), SMI in the affected side (d = 0.5, p  = 0.03), overall gait quality (d = 0.8, p  = 0.001), hip and knee muscle activation (d = 0.8, p  = 0.001), and FPEC (d = 0.8, p  = 0.001). The strengthening of FPEC ( r  = 0.601, p  < 0.001), the increase of SMI in the affected side ( r  = 0.554, p  < 0.001), and the decrease of SMI in the unaffected side ( r  = − 0.540, p  < 0.001) were the most important factors correlated with the clinical improvement. Conclusions Ekso™ gait training seems promising in gait rehabilitation for post-stroke patients, besides OGT. Our study proposes a putative neurophysiological basis supporting Ekso™ after-effects. This knowledge may be useful to plan highly patient-tailored gait rehabilitation protocols. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov , NCT03162263 .

Gait analysis provides crucial insights into neuromuscular coordination and postural control, especially in ageing populations and rehabilitation contexts. This study investigates the complexity of muscle activation and ground reaction force patterns during gait by applying detrended fluctuation analysis (DFA) to electromyography (EMG) and force-sensitive resistor (FSR) signals. Data from a two-arm randomised clinical trial (RCT) supplemented with an observational control group were used in this study. Participants performed a single-task walking protocol, with EMG recorded from the tibialis anterior and lateral gastrocnemius muscles of both legs and FSR sensors placed under the feet. Gait cycles were segmented using heel-strike detection from the FSR signal, enabling analysis of individual strides. For each gait cycle, DFA was applied to quantify the long-range temporal correlations in the EMG and FSR time series. Results revealed consistent α-scaling exponents across cycles, with EMG signals exhibiting moderate persistence (α≈0.85–0.92) and FSR signals showing higher persistence (α≈1.5), which is indicative of stable and repeatable gait patterns. These findings support the utility of DFA as a nonlinear signal processing tool for characterising gait dynamics, offering potential markers for gait stability, motor control, and intervention effects in populations practising movement-based therapies such as Tai Chi. Future work will extend this analysis to dual-task conditions and comparative group studies.

Summary In this study, we compare the extent to which seven available definitions of sarcopenia and two related definitions predict the rate of falling. Our results suggest that the definitions of Baumgartner and Cruz-Jentoft best predict the rate of falls among sarcopenic versus non-sarcopenic community-dwelling seniors. Introduction The purpose of the study is to compare the extent to which seven available definitions of sarcopenia and two related definitions predict the prospective rate of falling. Methods We studied a cohort of 445 seniors (mean age 71 years, 45 % men) living in the community who were followed with a detailed fall assessment for 3 years. For comparing the rate of falls in sarcopenic versus non-sarcopenic individuals, we used multivariate Poisson regression analyses adjusting for gender and treatment (original intervention tested vitamin D plus calcium against placebo). Of the seven available definitions, three were based on low lean mass alone (Baumgartner, Delmonico 1 and 2) and four required both low muscle mass and decreased performance in a functional test (Fielding, Cruz-Jentoft, Morley, Muscaritoli). The two related definitions were based on low lean mass alone (Studenski 1) and low lean mass contributing to weakness (Studenski 2). Results Among 445 participants, 231 fell, sustaining 514 falls over the 3-year follow-up. The prospective rate of falls in sarcopenic versus non-sarcopenic individuals was best predicted by the Baumgartner definition based on low lean mass alone (RR = 1.54; 95 % CI 1.09–2.18) with 11 % prevalence of sarcopenia and the Cruz-Jentoft definition based on low lean mass plus decreased functional performance (RR = 1.82; 95 % CI 1.24–2.69) with 7.1 % prevalence of sarcopenia. Consistently, fall rate was non-significantly higher in sarcopenic versus non-sarcopenic individuals based on the definitions of Delmonico 1, Fielding, and Morley. Conclusion Among the definitions investigated, the Baumgartner definition and the Cruz-Jentoft definition had the highest validity for predicting the rate of falls.

Freezing of Gait (FOG) is one of the most debilitating gait impairments in Parkinson’s disease (PD), leading to increased fall risk and reduced health-related quality of life. The utility of parkinsonian medications is often limited in the case of FOG and it frequently becomes dopamine resistant. Recent studies have suggested that pre-frontal cortex (PFC) dysfunction contributes to FOG; however, most previous findings provide only indirect evidence. To better understand the role of the PFC, we aimed to investigate the impact of high frequency, deep, repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (drTMS) of the medial PFC on FOG and its mediators. Nine patients with advanced PD participated in a randomized, cross-over exploratory study. We applied drTMS over the medial PFC for 16 weeks, with real and sham conditions; each condition included an intensive (i.e., 3 times a week) phase and a maintenance (once a week) phase. Scores on a FOG-provoking test, the motor part of the Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale, and gait variability significantly improved after real drTMS, but not after the sham condition. Self-report of FOG severity and cognitive scores did not improve. Due to discomfort and pain during treatment, two patients dropped out and the study was halted. These initial findings support the cause-and-effect role of the pre-frontal cortex in FOG among patients with PD. Due to the small sample size, findings should be interpreted cautiously. Further studies are needed to more fully assess the role of the medial PFC in the underlying mechanism of FOG and the possibility of using non-invasive brain stimulation to modify FOG.

Wearable assistive robotics has emerged as a promising technology to supplement or replace motor functions and to retrain people recovering from an injury or living with reduced mobility. We developed delayed output feedback control for a wearable hip-assistive robot, the EX1, to provide gait assistance. Our purpose in this study was to investigate the effects of long-term exercise with EX1 on gait, physical function, and cardiopulmonary metabolic energy efficiency in elderly people. This study used parallel experimental (exercise with EX1) and control groups (exercise without EX1). A total of 60 community-dwelling elderly persons participated in 18 exercise intervention sessions during 6 weeks, and all participants were assessed at 5 time points: before exercise, after 9 exercise sessions, after 18 sessions, and 1 month and 3 months after the last session. The spatiotemporal gait parameters, kinematics, kinetics, and muscle strength of the trunk and lower extremities improved more after exercise with EX1 than in that without EX1. Furthermore, the effort of muscles over the trunk and lower extremities throughout the total gait cycle (100%) significantly decreased after exercise with EX1. The net metabolic energy costs during walking significantly improved, and functional assessment scores improved more in the experimental group than in the control group. Our findings provide evidence supporting the application of EX1 in physical activity and gait exercise is effective to improve age-related declines in gait, physical function, and cardiopulmonary metabolic efficiency among older adults.