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Anorexia nervosa (AN) and bulimia nervosa (BN) are eating diseases characterized by extreme eating behaviours impacting both mental and physical health. Aberrant musculoskeletal adaptations due to malnutrition affect motor abilities such as postural control and gait. To date, limited data is available with regards to gait symmetry in AN and BN. The aim of this study was to characterize inter-limb asymmetry during gait in two cohorts affected by AN and BN, respectively, using the synchronized cyclograms and to compare it with a healthy weight group. A total of 14 AN, 17 BN, and 11 healthy-weight females were assessed via 3D gait analysis. Gait spatio-temporal parameters were computed together with angle–angle diagrams, which were characterized in terms of their geometric features. Individuals with AN and BN were characterized by reduced speed and cadence and an abnormal increase in the duration of the double support phase with respect to the healthy controls. With respect to inter-limb symmetry, asymmetries were detected in both groups, with individuals with BN exhibiting significantly larger cyclogram areas at the hip joint with respect to the other groups (323.43 degrees2 vs. 253.74 degrees2 vs. 136.37 degrees2) and significantly higher orientation angle and Trend Symmetry at both knee and ankle joint. The cyclogram analysis suggests the presence of an altered gait symmetry in individuals with BN. In the AN group, it is possible to observe a similar trend; however, this is not statistically significant. Overall, the findings of this study may provide a novel perspective on the motor control dysfunction linked to eating disorders and aid clinicians in selecting a suitable rehabilitation scheme targeted at enhancing motor stability and control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to assess the inter-limb symmetry during gait in post-stroke patients using the synchronized cyclograms technique. In total, 41 individuals with stroke (21 left and 20 right hemiplegic patients; age: 57.9 ± 12.8 years; time stroke event 4.6 ± 1.8 years) and 48 age-, sex-, and height-matched individuals (control group: CG; age: 54.4 ± 12.5 years) were assessed via 3D gait analysis. Raw kinematic data were processed to compute spatio-temporal parameters (speed, stride length, cadence, stance, swing, and double support phases duration) and angle–angle diagrams (synchronized cyclograms), which were characterized in terms of area, orientation, and trend symmetry indices. The results reveal that all spatio-temporal parameters are characterized by abnormal values, with reduced speed, stride length, cadence, and swing phase duration and increased stance and double support phases duration. With respect to inter-limb symmetry, higher values were found in post-stroke individuals for all the considered parameters as patients generally exhibited a cyclogram characterized by larger areas, higher orientation, and trend symmetry parameters with respect to CG. The described alterations of gait asymmetry are important from a clinical point of view as the achievement of symmetry in gait represents a crucial objective in the rehabilitation of hemiplegic people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The majority of people with Multiple Sclerosis (pwMS), report lower limb motor dysfunctions, which may relevantly affect postural control, gait and a wide range of activities of daily living. While it is quite common to observe a different impact of the disease on the two limbs (i.e., one of them is more affected), less clear are the effects of such asymmetry on gait performance. The present retrospective cross-sectional study aimed to characterize the magnitude of interlimb asymmetry in pwMS, particularly as regards the joint kinematics, using parameters derived from angle-angle diagrams. To this end, we analyzed gait patterns of 101 pwMS (55 women, 46 men, mean age 46.3, average Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) score 3.5, range 1–6.5) and 81 unaffected individuals age- and sex-matched who underwent 3D computerized gait analysis carried out using an eight-camera motion capture system. Spatio-temporal parameters and kinematics in the sagittal plane at hip, knee and ankle joints were considered for the analysis. The angular trends of left and right sides were processed to build synchronized angle–angle diagrams (cyclograms) for each joint, and symmetry was assessed by computing several geometrical features such as area, orientation and Trend Symmetry. Based on cyclogram orientation and Trend Symmetry, the results show that pwMS exhibit significantly greater asymmetry in all three joints with respect to unaffected individuals. In particular, orientation values were as follows: 5.1 of pwMS vs. 1.6 of unaffected individuals at hip joint, 7.0 vs. 1.5 at knee and 6.4 vs. 3.0 at ankle (p < 0.001 in all cases), while for Trend Symmetry we obtained at hip 1.7 of pwMS vs. 0.3 of unaffected individuals, 4.2 vs. 0.5 at knee and 8.5 vs. 1.5 at ankle (p < 0.001 in all cases). Moreover, the same parameters were sensitive enough to discriminate individuals of different disability levels. With few exceptions, all the calculated symmetry parameters were found significantly correlated with the main spatio-temporal parameters of gait and the EDSS score. In particular, large correlations were detected between Trend Symmetry and gait speed (with rho values in the range of −0.58 to −0.63 depending on the considered joint, p < 0.001) and between Trend Symmetry and EDSS score (rho = 0.62 to 0.69, p < 0.001). Such results suggest not only that MS is associated with significantly marked interlimb asymmetry during gait but also that such asymmetry worsens as the disease progresses and that it has a relevant impact on gait performances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]