Thesis

Understanding the modulation of walking speed and exploring how this differs in people with Parkinson’s disease.

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Awarding institution
  • University of Strathclyde
Date of award
  • 2023
Thesis identifier
  • T16822
Person Identifier (Local)
  • 201870350
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Abstract
  • Background: Parkinson's disease (PD) affects the ability of individuals to initiate movement and change muscle activity during gait initiation (GI) and during variations in walking speed. The present study aims to investigate the biomechanics parameters (kinetics and kinematics) and muscle activity characteristics during GI and variation in speed while walking on a treadmill and overground (OG) for PD-affected individuals and physically fit people. Methods: In this study, participants (n=17) included a physical fit (n= 11, aged 31.72 +/17.91 years) and a Parkinson’s (n= 6, aged 67.33 +/-11.57 years, disease duration 13.5 +/8.69). Both groups were evaluated while walking on the treadmill and over the ground for two phases. The first phase was Gait initiation, where the participants were asked to start walking at their comfortable speed for two gait cycles on the treadmill and OG. The second phase was speed variation, where the participants also walked at their comfortable speed, and increased their speed in response to visual instruction on screen. However, on the ground, they were asked to change their speed after their fifth walking step. A self-pacing treadmill synchronised with a virtual reality screen (MotekMedical, the Netherlands) and A 12-camera motion capture system (Vicon Motion Systems, UK) integrated with two embedded force plates and a wireless EMG system (Trigno, Delsys, USA) collected the biomechanical and muscle excitation data. Three gait cycles; before, during and immediately after the speed change was used for the analysis of the speed variation. Data were limited to lower limb joints and three muscles (tibialis anterior, gastrocnemius and soleus. Differences in the percentage of contraction and magnitude of muscle activation (area under the curve, AUC) were compared before and during the speed change. Results: PD-affected individuals spent less time on GI during treadmill walking (2.06 s ± 0.39) than the healthy reference group (2.25 s ± 0.42) but more time with OG walking (1.95s ±0.25) compared to the reference group (1.49s ±0.56). The reference group had a greater range of lower limb joint movement than the PD group during GI on both walking surfaces. The power produced at the hip and ankle joint by the reference group was higher than the overall PD group. The magnitude of muscle activation was lower in the PD group than the reference group, and the severity of the disease affected the magnitude of the muscle activation. At speed variation, both the reference and PD groups showed an increase in speed. Cadence declined in the reference group but elevated in the PD group. Soleus muscle activity increased with an increase in speed in PD-affected individuals, particularly in severely affected individuals compared to the reference group. Discussion/Conclusion: The mechanism for increasing speed appears to differ between PD-affected individuals and physically fit individuals. Soleus excitation during stance may be a control parameter for walking speed that is disturbed in PD, although age is likely to be a confounding factor. Further research is needed to understand the mechanisms underpinning these positive responses to interactive treadmill training and its impact on community walking. Keywords: Parkinson's disease, Gait initiation, Gait Cycles, treadmill walking, speed change.
Advisor / supervisor
  • Kerr, Andrew
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