Gait Characteristics in Acute Stroke and Transient Ischemic Attack Measured with Accelerometers

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Biomechanics
• Rehabilitation

Background:

• Gait impairments are common after stroke.
• The effects of transient ischemic attack (TIA) on gait are not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze acute gait changes within 3 days of stroke or TIA onset using accelerometers.
• To investigate the link between gait patterns and balance confidence.

Main Methods:

• Utilized accelerometer data to characterize gait patterns.
• Compared gait parameters between stroke patients, TIA patients, and controls.
• Assessed balance confidence using questionnaires.

Main Results:

• TIA patients exhibited less gait variability (swing time, stance time, step time) than stroke patients.
• Stroke patients showed slower, less consistent gait (shorter step length, lower velocity, higher temporal variability, greater asymmetry) compared to controls.
• Balance confidence correlated with gait parameters in stroke and control groups, but not in TIA patients.

Conclusions:

• TIA leads to detectable neurological changes affecting motor control, evidenced by altered gait patterns.
• Accelerometer-based gait analysis is valuable for early detection of functional deficits after TIA and stroke.