This site uses cookies to measure how you use the website so it can be updated and improved based on your needs and also uses cookies to help remember the notifications you’ve seen, like this one, so that we don’t show them to you again. If you could also tell us a little bit about yourself, this information will help us understand how we can support you better and make this site even easier for you to use and navigate.

The impact of different types of assistive devices on gait measures and safety in Huntington’s disease

Authors

Kloos, Anne D., Kegelmeyer, Deborah A., White, Susan E., Kostyk, Sandra K.

Journal

Plos One, Volume: 7, No.: 2, Pages.: e30903-e30903

Year of Publication

2012

Abstract

Background: Gait and balance impairments lead to frequent falls and injuries in individuals with Huntington’s disease (HD). Assistive devices (ADs) such as canes and walkers are often prescribed to prevent falls, but their efficacy is unknown. We systematically examined the effects of different types of ADs on quantitative gait measures during walking in a straight path and around obstacles.; Methods: Spatial and temporal gait parameters were measured in 21 subjects with HD as they walked across a GAITRite walkway under 7 conditions (i.e., using no AD and 6 commonly prescribed ADs: a cane, a weighted cane, a standard walker, and a 2, 3 or 4 wheeled walker). Subjects also were timed and observed for number of stumbles and falls while walking around two obstacles in a figure-of-eight pattern.; Results: Gait measure variability (i.e., coefficient of variation), an indicator of fall risk, was consistently better when using the 4WW compared to other ADs. Subjects also walked the fastest and had the fewest number of stumbles and falls when using the 4WW in the figure-of-eight course. Subjects walked significantly slower using ADs compared to no AD both across the GAITRite and in the figure-of-eight. Measures reflecting gait stability and safety improved with the 4WW but were made worse by some other ADs.;

Bibtex Citation

@article{Kloos_2012, doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0030903}, url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0030903}, year = 2012, month = {feb}, publisher = {Public Library of Science ({PLoS})}, volume = {7}, number = {2}, pages = {e30903}, author = {Anne D. Kloos and Deborah A. Kegelmeyer and Susan E. White and Sandra K. Kostyk}, editor = {Antony Bayer}, title = {The Impact of Different Types of Assistive Devices on Gait Measures and Safety in Huntington{textquotesingle}s Disease}, journal = {{PLoS} {ONE}} }

Keywords

adult, aged, gait, humans, huntington disease, middle aged, physiology, physiopathology, selfhelp devices, walking

Countries of Study

USA

Types of Dementia

Huntingtons

Types of Study

Cohort Study

Type of Outcomes

ADLs/IADLs

Type of Interventions

Non-pharmacological Treatment

Non-Pharmaceutical Interventions

Aids and adaptations