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- Creators: Barrett, The Honors College
- Creators: Sugar, Thomas
- Resource Type: Text
While REM Sleep Behavior disorder (RBD) has been linked with synucleinopathies, difficulties persist in clinically convenient diagnostic tools which can differentiate between underlying diseases. Identifying markers in the gait of RBD patients may ease the diagnostic process and indicate potential or status for developing more severe disorders. Individuals were referred to Movement Disorders Center of Arizona (MDCA) by a sleep specialist with a confirmed diagnosis of RBD, or those who were clinically indicated after questioning. All participants underwent a skin-biopsy test for α-synuclein, I-ioflupane dopamine transporter(DAT) scan, and had their gait velocity, cadence and stride dynamics assessed by an automated gait analysis system.
Down syndrome (DS) is caused by either an extra copy of chromosome 21 or by extra material on chromosome 21. This causes various levels of intellectual disability and issues with gross motor skill development which can prevent these individuals from participating in activities of daily living (ADL) such as getting dressed, self-care, or grocery shopping. People with DS have a decreased ability to balance, an abnormal and slower gait pattern, difficulty adapting to new environments, and a lack of improvement in these areas with growth and development when compared to their neurotypical peers. The objective of this study was to determine the immediate effects of resistance training (RT) and assisted cycle therapy (ACT) on adults with DS’s balance ability and gait speed. Each participant completed one session of RT, ACT (stationary cycling with the assistance of a motor to maintain a cadence of at least 35% greater than their voluntary cycling speed), and no training in a randomly selected order. Balance and gait speed were measured by a Clinical Test of Sensory Interaction on Balance (CTSIB) (i.e., eyes open firm surface, eyes closed firm surface, eyes open foam surface, eyes closed foam surface) on a Balance Tracking System Board (Btracks board) and by a Timed Up and Go (TUG) test. A total of ten participants’ data was used for analysis. The measures of total path length (cm), anterior-posterior (AP) excursion, and medial-lateral (ML) excursion were used to analyze the CTSIB. The average time was used to analyze the TUG test. The results showed that the eyes closed foam surface balance task was the most challenging balance task for every participant in every intervention. Furthermore, the most improvement was evident in the eyes closed foam surface balance task from pre to post intervention in all of the interventions. Post hoc tests also indicated statistically significant improvements of path length from pre to post in the RT intervention with the eyes closed foam surface balance task as well as with AP excursion in the ACT intervention with the eyes closed foam surface balance task. Possible explanations for improvements from pre to post in the eyes closed foam balance task across all interventions will be discussed with respect to the length of the intervention, and the effect of strength, social and learned factors on balance in adults with DS.
The purpose of this project is to improve upon the passive ankle foot orthosis originally designed in the ASU’s Robotics and Intelligent Systems Laboratory (RISE Lab). This device utilizes springs positioned parallel to the user’s Achilles tendon which store energy to be released during the push off phase of the user’s gait cycle. Goals of the project are to improve the speed and reliability of the ratchet and pawl mechanism, design the device to fit a wider range of shoe sizes, and reduce the overall mass and size of the device. The resulting system is semi-passive and only utilizes a single solenoid to unlock the ratcheting mechanism when the spring’s potential force is required. The device created also utilizes constant force springs rather than traditional linear springs which allows for a more predictable level of force. A healthy user tested the device on a treadmill and surface electromyography (sEMG) sensors were placed on the user’s plantar flexor muscles to monitor potential reductions in muscular activity resulting from the assistance provided by the AFO device. The data demonstrates the robotic shoe was able to assist during the heel-off stage and reduced activation in the plantar flexor muscles was evident from the EMG data collected. As this is an ongoing research project, this thesis will also recommend possible design upgrades and changes to be made to the device in the future. These upgrades include utilizing a carbon fiber or lightweight plastic frame such as many of the traditional ankle foot-orthosis sold today and introducing a system to regulate the amount of spring force applied as a function of the force required at specific times of the heel off gait phase.