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Improved hemiparetic muscle activation in treadmill versus overground walking

Improved hemiparetic muscle activation in treadmill versus overground walking
Improved hemiparetic muscle activation in treadmill versus overground walking
Objective: treadmill training is a promising tool for retraining gait after stroke. The treadmill induces an immediate shift toward symmetry and longer paretic stance times due to altered muscle activation (active) or the motorized belt (passive). The authors investigated vastus lateralis and medial hamstrings activation differences between treadmill and overground walking in participants with stroke.

Methods: vastus lateralis and medial hamstrings surface electromyography was recorded during velocity-matched overground and treadmill walking in 19 chronically hemiparetic subjects. Variables from ensemble averages of electromyography included burst onset and offset times (% cycle), duration (% cycle), integrated amplitude (mV.% cycle), and onset relative to foot strike (% cycle). Conditions were compared using paired t-tests (alpha = 0.05).

Results: paretic vastus lateralis onset occurred earlier in the treadmill condition (overground: 47.1%, treadmill: 41.9%, P = 0.01). For nonparetic vastus lateralis in the treadmill condition, onset occurred later (overground: 85.2%, treadmill: 87.6%, P = 0.09), offset occurred earlier (overground: 54.7%, treadmill: 47.8%, P = 0.03), duration was shorter (overground: 69.1%, treadmill: 61.2%, P = 0.01), and integrated amplitude was lower (overground: 14.1, treadmill: 10.6, P = 0.05). Within limbs, paretic vastus lateralis onset occurred earlier relative to paretic foot strike. Nonparetic vastus lateralis onset occurred later relative to nonparetic foot strike.

Conclusions: treadmill walking induces immediate changes in vastus lateralis, but not medial ham-strings, activation patterns. These alterations (earlier paretic vastus lateralis onset and later nonparetic vastus lateralis onset) during treadmill versus overground walking parallel the increased symmetry in gait patterning
1545-9683
154-160
Harris-Love, M. L.
d0083a48-4435-4dc0-9881-c2d87d1ffe05
Macko, Richard F.
facb5e9c-e881-4d59-90d4-1a41509db2fe
Whitall, Jill
9761aefb-be80-4270-bc1f-0e726399376e
Forrester, Larry W.
ad7de5d6-69ae-4524-bd73-ec46cc485cae
Harris-Love, M. L.
d0083a48-4435-4dc0-9881-c2d87d1ffe05
Macko, Richard F.
facb5e9c-e881-4d59-90d4-1a41509db2fe
Whitall, Jill
9761aefb-be80-4270-bc1f-0e726399376e
Forrester, Larry W.
ad7de5d6-69ae-4524-bd73-ec46cc485cae

Harris-Love, M. L., Macko, Richard F., Whitall, Jill and Forrester, Larry W. (2004) Improved hemiparetic muscle activation in treadmill versus overground walking. Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair, 18 (3), 154-160. (doi:10.1177/0888439004267678). (PMID:15375275)

Record type: Article

Abstract

Objective: treadmill training is a promising tool for retraining gait after stroke. The treadmill induces an immediate shift toward symmetry and longer paretic stance times due to altered muscle activation (active) or the motorized belt (passive). The authors investigated vastus lateralis and medial hamstrings activation differences between treadmill and overground walking in participants with stroke.

Methods: vastus lateralis and medial hamstrings surface electromyography was recorded during velocity-matched overground and treadmill walking in 19 chronically hemiparetic subjects. Variables from ensemble averages of electromyography included burst onset and offset times (% cycle), duration (% cycle), integrated amplitude (mV.% cycle), and onset relative to foot strike (% cycle). Conditions were compared using paired t-tests (alpha = 0.05).

Results: paretic vastus lateralis onset occurred earlier in the treadmill condition (overground: 47.1%, treadmill: 41.9%, P = 0.01). For nonparetic vastus lateralis in the treadmill condition, onset occurred later (overground: 85.2%, treadmill: 87.6%, P = 0.09), offset occurred earlier (overground: 54.7%, treadmill: 47.8%, P = 0.03), duration was shorter (overground: 69.1%, treadmill: 61.2%, P = 0.01), and integrated amplitude was lower (overground: 14.1, treadmill: 10.6, P = 0.05). Within limbs, paretic vastus lateralis onset occurred earlier relative to paretic foot strike. Nonparetic vastus lateralis onset occurred later relative to nonparetic foot strike.

Conclusions: treadmill walking induces immediate changes in vastus lateralis, but not medial ham-strings, activation patterns. These alterations (earlier paretic vastus lateralis onset and later nonparetic vastus lateralis onset) during treadmill versus overground walking parallel the increased symmetry in gait patterning

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Published date: 2004
Organisations: Faculty of Health Sciences

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 361344
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/361344
ISSN: 1545-9683
PURE UUID: 041d5a8d-606b-47eb-bb18-e63292b5ef78

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Date deposited: 17 Jan 2014 15:01
Last modified: 14 Mar 2024 15:49

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Contributors

Author: M. L. Harris-Love
Author: Richard F. Macko
Author: Jill Whitall
Author: Larry W. Forrester

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