Investigation of non-invasive neuromodulation techniques to enhance gait rhythmicity in aging and Parkinsonian populations
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Citation
Abstract
Walking gait abnormalities are a commonly observed issue in aging populations, with a 2023 study finding that approximately 15% of people exhibit some form of gait abnormality by the age of 60, and over 80% of the 80 and older population exhibit some form of gait abnormality. Gait abnormalities can present due to many factors, such as prior orthopedic injuries, vision problems, and underlying neurological disorders like Parkinson's Disease. Gait abnormalities encompass a wide variety of physiological symptoms that can all contribute to a loss of rhythmicity in the gait cycle. In this Master Thesis, I investigated non-invasive neuromodulation techniques to enhance the temporal rhythmicity of the gait cycle in order to reduce associated fall risks and improve quality of life in affected populations.To examine the effects of auditory and vibrotactile stimuli on temporal gait rhythmicity, we performed a study on healthy human subjects. Subjects performed 5 trials at each stimulus condition, in which they walked 20 meters down an empty linear hallway. Subjects wore a tri-axial accelerometer (Model: Xsens, Movella Inc.) and stimulus was supplied via headphones or a custom device for auditory and vibrotactile stimulation respectively. The data collected from the accelerometer was then used to identify the features of the gait cycle and analyze the differences in temporal duration of key features across the trials. Stimulation was supplied at 5Hz, 10Hz, and 20Hz for both auditory and vibrotactile stimulus techniques.
Across 11 healthy adults, 7 subjects showed a significant decrease in stride duration variance when exposed to auditory stimulation with a reduction of 47.87 ± 20.82% (mean ± standard deviation) across the subjects regardless of stimulation frequencies. 5 subjects showed a significant decrease in stance duration variance, with a reduction of 53.80 ± 23.44% regardless of stimulation frequencies. 5 subjects showed a decrease in swing duration variance, with a reduction of 36.75 ± 33.27% regardless of stimulation frequencies.
Across 5 healthy adults, 1 subject showed a significant decrease in stride duration variance when exposed to vibrotactile stimulation with a reduction of 84.51%. 1 subject showed a significant decrease in stance duration variance with a reduction of 49.68%. 2 subjects showed a significant decrease in swing duration variance with a reduction of 38.82 ±11.56%.
These preliminary findings support the hypothesis that auditory and vibrotactile stimulation techniques can be used as a therapeutic modality to improve gait rhythmicity in human populations.
Description
2025
License
Attribution 4.0 International