Abstract
Background: This is a feasibility study aimed to investigate the effects of a novel lightweight ankle exoskeleton on gait and balance in an individual with Parkinson disease (PD). Case Description: An 85-year old woman with a 5-year history of PD (Hoehn and Yahr stage 2.5) participated in the study. The participant received 4 visits over 4 weeks including 1 evaluation and three 30-minute training sessions wearing the ankle exoskeleton. Results: The participant demonstrated a 26% reduction in metabolic cost during walking and nearly 10% improvement in peak anterior-posterior center-of-pressure displacement during balance testing with untethered exoskeleton assistance compared with baseline. Conclusion: Participant-specific ankle exoskeleton is a feasible and safe intervention that can improve walking economy as well as balance in individuals with PD.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 146-151 |
| Number of pages | 6 |
| Journal | Topics in Geriatric Rehabilitation |
| Volume | 36 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Jul 1 2020 |
Keywords
- Parkinson disease
- balance
- exoskeleton device
- gait
- rehabilitation
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Physical Therapy, Sports Therapy and Rehabilitation
- Rehabilitation
- Geriatrics and Gerontology