Multisensory Augmentation to Improve the Standing Balance of People With Chronic Stroke
VA Office of Research and Development
Summary
Many individuals who experience a stroke have problems with their balance. In part, these balance problems may be due to sensory issues. This study will test whether sensory augmentation has the potential to improve post-stroke balance. Sensory augmentation is a method by which non-invasive vibration is used to enhance the sensory information available to users, which may make it easier to feel where they are and prevent losses of balance.
Description
The objective of this study is to design a novel multisensory augmentation approach to improve the control of standing balance in people with chronic stroke. With sensory augmentation, artificial feedback provides the nervous system with information about the dynamic state of the body, which can be used to prevent losses of balance. This clinical trial will investigate whether multisensory augmentation produces sustained balance improvements when applied as a training device. These potential improvements will be assessed by comparing the results of clinical and biomechanical assessments before…
Eligibility
- Age range
- 21+ years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- No
Inclusion Criteria: 1. Age of at least 21 years; 2. Experience of a stroke at least 6 months prior to participation; 3. Berg Balance Scale score less than 52 4. Ability to stand independently for at least 1 minute without wearing an AFO or other brace that would preclude delivery of stimulation to the ankle or foot sole 5. Provision of informed consent Exclusion Criteria: 1. Resting blood pressure higher than 220/110 mm Hg 2. History of unstable cardiac arrhythmias, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, severe aortic stenosis, angina or dyspnea at rest or during activities of daily living 3. Pre-exi…
Interventions
- BehavioralBalance training with sensory augmentation
Participants will complete 20 balance training sessions, in which they are required to keep their balance while standing on a platform that translates under their feet. During training, sensory augmentation will be delivered with an intensity controlled in real-time by their center of pressure motion. The difficulty of the balance training task will progressively increase over successive training sessions.
- BehavioralBalance training
Participants will complete 20 balance training sessions, in which they are required to keep their balance while standing on a platform that translates under their feet. During training, no sensory stimulation will be delivered. The difficulty of the balance training task will progressively increase over successive training sessions.
Location
- Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center, Charleston, SCCharleston, South Carolina