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Kinematics associated with treadmill walking in Rett syndrome
Charles S Layne1,2,3, David R Young1,2, Beom-Chan Lee1,2
1Department of Health and Human Performance, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA.
Disability and Rehabilitation
|October 16, 2019
Summary
Individuals with Rett syndrome can adjust their gait on a treadmill, but only within a limited speed range. Treadmill training may improve walking for those with Rett syndrome.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Biomechanical Engineering
- Rehabilitation Science
Background:
- Rett syndrome causes severe cognitive and motor impairments.
- Current therapies include physical therapy and assisted treadmill walking for ambulatory individuals.
- Quantitative gait data during treadmill walking is lacking for Rett syndrome patients.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize lower limb kinematic patterns during treadmill walking in individuals with Rett syndrome as speed increases.
- To provide quantitative data on gait parameters for this population.
Main Methods:
- Seventeen ambulatory females with Rett syndrome (MECP2 gene mutation) participated.
- Motion capture system recorded joint kinematics during treadmill walking.
- Analysis software processed kinematic data.
Main Results:
- Stride time decreased as treadmill speed increased.
- Significant effects of speed on hip/knee range of motion and hip velocity were observed.
- High joint asymmetry and variance were noted, decreasing with increased speed.
Conclusions:
- Individuals with Rett syndrome can adapt gait kinematics to increasing treadmill speeds within a narrow range.
- Treadmill training may enhance walking kinematics and overall health in ambulatory individuals with Rett syndrome.
- Clinicians can use this kinematic data to assess gait and response to interventions.
