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Asymmetric Walkway: A Novel Behavioral Assay for Studying Asymmetric Locomotion
Published on: January 15, 2016
Stroke-related differences in axial body segment coordination during preplanned and reactive changes in walking
Kristen L Hollands1, Paulette van Vliet, Doerte Zietz
1School of Health and Population Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK. k.hollands@bham.ac.uk
Experimental Brain Research
|January 29, 2010
Summary
Stroke survivors maintain gait timing during direction changes, but basal ganglia lesions slow turns to the non-paretic side. This suggests dopaminergic pathway changes impact motor control after stroke.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Biomechanics
- Rehabilitation Science
Background:
- Hemiparetic stroke often impairs gait and balance, particularly during complex maneuvers like direction changes.
- Understanding kinematic differences in turning is crucial for developing targeted rehabilitation strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantitatively compare axial body segment and gait kinematics during a 45-degree direction change task in individuals with hemiparetic stroke versus healthy controls.
- To investigate the influence of lesion location, specifically basal ganglia involvement, on direction change execution in stroke survivors.
Main Methods:
- Participants performed 45-degree turns (left and right) on a 6-m path, with visual cues provided either pre-planned or reactively.
- Axial body segment orientation and gait kinematics were quantitatively analyzed.
- A subgroup analysis focused on participants with basal ganglia lesions.
Main Results:
- The sequence and timing of axial orientation onset were preserved in participants with stroke compared to controls.
- Participants with basal ganglia lesions exhibited significantly longer initiation times for reorientation synergy when turning towards their non-paretic side.
Conclusions:
- While basic turning sequence is maintained post-stroke, basal ganglia lesions specifically impair the ability to initiate turning reorientation, particularly towards the non-paretic side.
- Hypothesized asymmetrical dopaminergic pathway activity due to compromised basal ganglia function may underlie these observed motor control deficits.
