Danielle Duncan
Iphy 1950: Marie Boyko
RD-4
February 22nd, 2010
1 / 2 / 3Title / Changes in gait variability during different challenges to mobility in patients with traumatic brain injury / Gait Stability following Concussion / Dynamic instability during obstacle crossing following traumatic brain injury
Authors / Niechwiej-Szwedo, Inness, Howe, Jaglal, McIlroy, Verrier / Parker, Osternig, Donkelaar, Chou* / Chou*, Kaufman, Walker-Rabatin, Brey, Basford
Journal / Science Direct / Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, / Science Direct
Volume, Year, Pages / Gait and Posture, 25, 2007, 70-77 / 36, 2006, 1032-40 / Gait and Posture, 20, 2004, 245-254
Methodological study / Observational; epidemiological / Observational; epidemiological / Observational; epidemiological
What did they do? / Subjects walked across a pressure mat at their normal pace as fast as possible with their eyes closed. / Subjects walked with undivided attention and while performing simple mental tasks. The tests were repeated at 48 hours, 5, 14 and 28 days after injury (controls were assessed at same time frames). / Subjects walked across a level surface and stepped over obstacles ranging from 2.5% to 15% of their height. A biomechanical model of the human body was used to calculate the kinetics of the body’s center of mass.
Exact research question / What is the effect of traumatic brain injury on dynamic stability in gait and walking in adults? / What is the effect of a concussion on dynamic motor tasks with divided and undivided attention? / Is it possible to assess problems in dynamic stability, not resulting from an obvious neuromuscular origin, in individuals following a traumatic brain injury?
Who were subjects and how many? / 15 males, 5 females receiving rehabilitation for a traumatic brain injury, controls were 14 males, 6 females with no neuromuscular or musculoskeletal problems / 15 men and women who had had a concussion and 15 uninjured controls / 6 males, 4 females with a TBI, control was 10 healthy individuals without a history of TBI.
Independent variable(s) / Presence of a traumatic brain injury / ~Sustainment of a concussion
~Divided/undivided attention / Documented traumatic brain injury
Dependent variable(s) / ~Stability
~Spatial awareness
~Resulting foot placement, and difficulty / Performance of a dynamic motor task / ~stability indicated by
~ medio-lateral motion of the whole body center of mass of mass
Key results (give the numbers) / Variability in velocity was greater in the TBI subject group when compared to the control group (PW task: 0.063 m/s versus 0.054 m/s; FW task: 0.113 m/s versus 0.093 m/s; EC task: 0.0806 m/s versus 0.0549 m/s, respectively). Variability in velocity may contribute to variability in step patterns. / The group with the concussion was found to sway significantly more in the dual activity on days 2,5 and 28, than the control, who were not affected during any testing period. / TBI subjects would sway faster (P = 0.007) than that of control subjects and increased linearly (P = 0.001) with obstacle height
What was the answer to the RQ? / The hypothesis was correct; the subjects had greater gait variability as complexity increased, than healthy controls. / Concussion may have long term effects on gait stability. / Traumatic brain injury subjects have reduced ability to maintain stability.
Any problems with the study? / None immediately apparent. / None immediately apparent. Fairly ambiguous answer. / None immediately apparent.
*Same author.