Journal
MUSCLE & NERVE
Volume 56, Issue 2, Pages 230-236Publisher
WILEY
DOI: 10.1002/mus.25484
Keywords
6-minute walk test; fatigue; gait; Inertial Sensors; outcome measure; reliability; spinal muscular atrophy; validation; Wearable Technologies
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Funding
- SMA Foundation
- Columbia-Coulter Translational Research Partnership
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development [1K01HD084690-01A1]
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Introduction: Gait impairment is common in spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) and is described using clinical assessments and instrumented walkways. Continuous over-ground walking has not been studied. Methods: Nine SMA participants completed the 6-minute walk test (6MWT) and 10-meter walk/run wearing instrumented footwear (SoleSound). Data were simultaneously collected using a reference system (GAITRite). The root-mean-square error (RMSE) indicated criterion validity. The decrease in walking speed represented fatigue. Foot loading patterns were evaluated using force sensors. Results: The RMSE for stride time, length, and velocity ranged from 1.3% to 1.7%. Fatigue was 11.6 +/- 9.1%, which corresponded to an average deceleration of 0.37 +/- 0.28 mm/s(2). Participants spent most of their stance without heel contact. Forefoot contact occurred early in the gait cycle. Conclusions: These results suggest that footwear-based devices are an alternative to specialized equipment for gait assessment. Better understanding of gait disturbances should inform ongoing treatment efforts and provide a more sensitive outcome measure.
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