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Fall-inducing systems have two critical applications. One is to obtain the biomechanical features of falling, and the other is to systematically train individuals and reduce the risk of falling. While the former application necessitates the occurrence of falls, the latter does not require fall-inducing perturbations to be excessively intense. The purposes of the study were to investigate the effects of perturbation intensities (a combination of speeds and durations) on the number of falls, fall rates, and maximum loading forces resulting from slips induced by a split-belt treadmill. Twenty-four young adults (12 males and 12 females) completed 16 randomized trials (12 perturbation trials and 4 false trials). The forces between a safety harness and a rail were used to identify falls and non-falls and to assess the maximum loading force during falls. Although the number of falls, fall rates, and maximum loading force significantly increase as the slipping speed increases for both durations, the relative risk analysis shows that fall risk significantly increases as the slipping speed increases regardless of the duration. These findings may contribute to developing design criteria for controlled perturbations using a split-belt treadmill, aimed at enhancing our understanding of fall biomechanics and informing fall prevention training programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recognizing the growing interests and benefits of technology-assisted interactive telerehabilitation in various populations, the aim of this review is to systematically review the effects of interactive telerehabilitation with remote monitoring and guidance for improving balance and gait performance in older adults and individuals with neurological conditions. The study protocol for this systematic review was registered with the international prospective register of systematic reviews (PROSPERO) with the unique identifier CRD42024509646. Studies written in English published from January 2014 to February 2024 in Web of Science, Pubmed, Scopus, and Google Scholar were examined. Of the 247 identified, 17 were selected after initial and eligibility screening, and their methodological quality was assessed with the National Institutes of Health Quality Assessment Tool for Observational Cohort and Cross-sectional Studies. All 17 studies demonstrated balance and gait performance improvement in older adults and in individuals with stroke, Parkinson's disease, and multiple sclerosis following 4 or more weeks of interactive telerehabilitation via virtual reality, smartphone or tablet apps, or videoconferencing. The findings of this systematic review can inform the future design and implementation of interactive telerehabilitation technology and improve balance and gait training exercise regimens for older adults and individuals with neurological conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background In their current laboratory-based form, existing vibrotactile sensory augmentation technologies that provide cues of body motion are impractical for home-based rehabilitation use due to their size, weight, complexity, calibration procedures, cost, and fragility. Methods We have designed and developed a cell phone based vibrotactile feedback system for potential use in balance rehabilitation training in clinical and home environments. It comprises an iPhone with an embedded tri-axial linear accelerometer, custom software to estimate body tilt, a "tactor bud" accessory that plugs into the headphone jack to provide vibrotactile cues of body tilt, and a battery. Five young healthy subjects (24 ± 2.8 yrs, 3 females and 2 males) and four subjects with vestibular deficits (42.25 ± 13.5 yrs, 2 females and 2 males) participated in a proof-of-concept study to evaluate the effectiveness of the system. Healthy subjects used the system with eyes closed during Romberg, semi-tandem Romberg, and tandem Romberg stances. Subjects with vestibular deficits used the system with both eyes-open and eyes-closed conditions during semi-tandem Romberg stance. Vibrotactile feedback was provided when the subject exceeded either an anterior-posterior (A/P) or a medial-lateral (M/L) body tilt threshold. Subjects were instructed to move away from the vibration. Results The system was capable of providing real-time vibrotactile cues that informed corrective postural responses. When feedback was available, both healthy subjects and those with vestibular deficits significantly reduced their A/P or M/L RMS sway (depending on the direction of feedback), had significantly smaller elliptical area fits to their sway trajectory, spent a significantly greater mean percentage time within the no feedback zone, and showed a significantly greater A/P or M/L mean power frequency. Conclusion The results suggest that the real-time feedback provided by this system can be used to reduce body sway. Its advantages over more complex laboratory-based and commercial balance training systems in terms of cost, size, weight, functionality, flexibility, and accessibility make it a good candidate for further home-based balance training evaluation.

Individuals with Rett syndrome suffer from severely impaired cognitive and motor performance. Current movement-related therapeutic programs often include traditional physical therapy activities and assisted treadmill walking routines for those individuals who are ambulatory. However, there are no quantitative reports of kinematic gait parameters obtained during treadmill walking. The purpose of this research was to characterize the kinematic patterns of the lower limbs during treadmill walking as speed was slowly increased. Seventeen independently ambulatory females diagnosed with a methyl-CpG-binding protein 2 gene mutation walked on a motorized treadmill while joint kinematics were obtained by a camera-based motion capture system and analysis software. Stride times progressively decreased as treadmill speeds increased. There were significant main effects of speed on sagittal knee and hip ranges of motion and hip velocity. There were large joint asymmetries and variance values relative to other ambulatory patient populations, although variance values decreased as walking speed increased. The results indicate that individuals with Rett syndrome can adapt their kinematic gait patterns in response to increasing treadmill speed, but only within a narrow range of speeds. We suggest that treadmill training for ambulatory individuals with Rett syndrome may promote improved walking kinematics and possibly provide overall health benefits. Walking is an activity that can counter the negative impacts of the sedentary lifestyle of many individuals with disabilities, including those individuals with Rett syndrome. Documentation of the lower limb kinematic patterns displayed during walking by ambulatory females with Rett syndrome can be used by clinicians to evaluate their patients' gait performance in response to therapeutic and pharmacological interventions designed to promote walking. The ability to adapt to increases in treadmill speed suggests that a training program of treadmill walking may be effective in promoting improved gait performance in individuals with Rett syndrome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adults with type 2 diabetes (T2D) experience decline in cognitive function compared with controls. Cognitive function is a major component in the performance of daily activities that involve motor components. The aim of this project was to evaluate working memory cognitive deficits and sensorimotor deficits in adults with T2D versus healthy participants. Ten community-dwelling persons with T2D and 10 age- and sex-matched healthy controls were recruited. Cognitive function, tactile function, motor function, and health state measures were evaluated. Reduced cognitive function, tactile function, and motor function were exhibited in the T2D group. Cognitive and motor functions remained impaired versus controls during tasks with both cognitive and motor components (dual tasks). Health state measures were found to covary with measures of interest. The conclusions of this article are as follows: (a) systemic deficits beyond tactile dysfunction contribute to reduced hand/finger function in T2D, and (b) participants with T2D demonstrate impairments in working memory, tactile function, and motor function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]