• 국제물리치료학회지
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• 제10권4호
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• pp.1873-1878
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• 2019

Background: Walking is a complex activity. The main components of walking include balance, coordination, and symmetrical posture. The characteristics of walking patterns of stroke patients include slow walking, measured by gait cycle and walking speed. This is an important factor that reflects post-stroke quality of life and walking ability. Objective: This study aimed to examine the effect of deep lumbar muscle stabilization exercise on the spatiotemporal walking ability of stroke patients. Design: Quasi-experial study Methods: The experiment was conducted 5 times per week for 4 weeks, with 30 minutes per session, on 10 subjects in the experimental group who performed the deep lumbar muscle stabilization exercise and 10 subjects in the control group who performed a regular exercise. Variables that represent the spatiotemporal walking ability (step length, stride length, step rate, and walking speed) were measured using GAITRrite before and after the experiment and were analyzed. Results: There was a significant difference in the pre- and post-exercise spatiotemporal walking ability between the two groups (p<.05). Furthermore, there was a significant difference in the step rate and walking speed between the two groups (p<.05). Conclusions: Deep lumbar muscle stabilization exercise is effective in improving the walking ability of stroke patients. Therefore, its application will help improve the spatiotemporal walking ability of stroke patients.

• 대한통합의학회지
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• 제10권4호
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• pp.145-151
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• 2022

Purpose : Stroke patients exhibit abnormal walking patterns such as slow walking speed and asymmetrical walking values. The recovery of symmetrical walking in the stance phase using a treadmill means improvements in walking speed and asymmetrical walking. The purpose of this research was to investigate the effect of unilateral step treadmill training (USTT) on gait speed and the recovery of symmetrical walking in chronic stroke patients. Methods : Fifteen patients (11 men and 4 women) with chronic stroke participated in this study. The 10-meter walk test (10MWT) and GAITRite system were used to determine the intervention-related changes in gait speed and symmetrical walking values such as non-paretic step length (NSL), non-paretic step time (NST), paretic single-support time (PSST), step length asymmetry (SLA), and step time asymmetry (STA) after USTT. All participants completed USTT and underwent measurements at 3 different times: at pretest, posttest, and the follow-up test. Repeated-measures analysis of variance was used to compare walking speed and asymmetrical walking values. The statistical significance level was set at p<.05. Results : Walking speed by 10MWT (p<.05) showed significant improvements after USTT as follows: at pretest and posttest (p<.05), posttest and follow-up test (p<.05), and pretest and follow-up test (p<.05). Recovery of symmetrical walking patterns such as NSL (p<.05), NST (p<.05), and SLA (p<.05) were observed after USTT. However, no significant improvements were found in PSST (p>.05) and STA (p>.05) in symmetrical gait. Conclusion : This study suggests that USTT may have a positive effect on walking speed and symmetrical walking patterns in chronic stroke patients. Thus, this study contributes to the existing knowledge about the usefulness of USTT for the effective management of patients with chronic stroke. Further studies are needed to generalize these findings.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• 제23권3호
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• pp.21-27
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• 2011

Purpose: The purpose of the present study was to examine, in stroke patients, differences between backward walking training applied on a treadmill and the same training applied on the ground. Methods: Twenty seven stroke patients were divided into a treadmill backward walking group of 14 patients and a ground backward walking group of 13 subjects. Each group performed their respective training method for 8 weeks (15 min per day, 4 days a week). Walking ability was measured using a 10 m MWS (Maximal Walking Speed) test and the GAITRite system to examine changes in walking. Cadence, stridelength, step time, step length and symmetry index of the less affected side were measured to examine changes in stance phase of the lower extremity of the more affected side. Results: 10 m MWS, cadence, stride length, step time and step length of the less affected side significantly increased and symmetry index significantly decreased after training in both groups. The treadmill backward walking group experienced a significantly greater increase in step time and step length and a significantly greater decrease in symmetry index than the ground backward walking group. Conclusion: The two walking training methods were effective for improving stability in stance phase of the lower extremity of the more affected side, but the treadmill method was more effective. The present study is meaningful in that it analyzed the effects of backward walking training methods on walking and the differences of the training methods to provide information necessary for effective treatment of stroke patients.

• 한국전문물리치료학회지
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• 제15권3호
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• pp.35-43
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• 2008

The purpose of this study was to compare spatio-temporal parameters during walking between patients with idiopathic Parkinson's disease and a control group matched for age, height, and weight. Thirty-three subjects were included in this study. Fifteen normal subjects (age, $63.3{\pm}5.8$ yrs; height, $164.1{\pm}8.7$ cm; weight, $60.7{\pm}17.5$ kg) and eighteen patients (age, $64.0{\pm}7.7$ yrs; height, $164.7{\pm}7.3$ cm; weight, $63.6{\pm}7.7$ kg) participated in the study. The Vicon 512 Motion analysis system was used for gait analysis in each group during walking, with and without an obstacle. The measured spatio-temporal parameters were cadence, walking speed, stride time, step time, single limb support time, double limb support time, stride length, and step length. Results in stride length and step length, when walking without an obstacle, showed a significantly greater decrease in the patient group compared to the control group. During walking with an obstacle, the patient group showed a significantly greater decrease in the step length as compared to the control group. For the control group, there were significant decreases in parameters of cadence and walking speed and increases in parameters of stride time, step time, and single limb support time when walking with an obstacle. The patient group had lower cadence and walking speed and higher stride time, step time, and single limb support time during walking with an obstacle than in walking without an obstacle. These results suggest that patients with Parkinson's disease who walk over an obstacle can decrease cadence, stride length, and step length. Further study is needed, performed with more obstacles and combined with other external cues, such as visual or acoustic guides.

• Journal of Electrical Engineering and Technology
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• 제10권5호
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• pp.2142-2148
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• 2015

This paper proposes novel real-time footstep planning and following methods for the navigation of humanoid robots. A footstep command is defined by a walking direction and step lengths for footstep planning. The walking direction is determined by a uni-vector field navigation method, and the allowable yawing range caused by hardware limitation is considered. The lateral step length is determined to avoid collisions between the two legs while walking. The sagittal step length is modified by a binary search algorithm when collision occurs between the robot body and obstacles in a narrow space. If the robot body still collides with obstacles despite the modification of the sagittal step length, the lateral step length is shifted at the next footstep. For footstep following, a walking pattern generator based on a 3-D linear inverted pendulum model is utilized, which can generate modifiable walking patterns using the zero-moment point variation scheme. Therefore, it enables a humanoid robot to follow the footstep command planned for each footstep. The effectiveness of the proposed method is verified through simulation and experiment.

• 대한물리의학회지
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• 제12권3호
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• pp.99-104
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• 2017

PURPOSE: Gait disturbances in patients with hemiplegic stroke involve asymmetry of stance time. Step box training is used to supplement the limitations of stair walking training and increasing the torque value of the paralyzed lower leg's strength. This study aimed to investigate whether step-up training on unstable support could change walking ability in patients with chronic stroke. METHODS: Thirty stroke patients were randomly assigned to the step-up training group (experimental group), that performed training on an unstable surface, and the control group, that performed training on a stable surface. Walking speed, step length, and cadence were measured before and after training. Paired t-tests were used to compare pre- and post-intervention data, while the independent samples t-test was used to determine intergroup differences. Values of p < .05 were considered statistically significant. RESULTS: There was a significant difference in walking ability before versus after the intervention in both groups, although the experimental group showed greater differences than the control group (walking velocity by 8.1%; step length of the non-paralyzed side by 6.9%, respectively; p<.05). CONCLUSION: Step-up training might be more effective on an unstable surface than on a stable surface for increasing walking speed and step length of the non-paralyzed side.

• Journal of Mechanical Science and Technology
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• 제19권spc1호
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• pp.371-376
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• 2005

Relative contributions of lower extremity joints on the support moment were investigated in this study. Three-dimensional gait analyses were performed in normal walking and in unexpected step-down walking. For both gait studies, inverse dynamics were performed to obtain each joint moment of the lower extremity, which was applied to the forward dynamics simulation to determine the contributions on the support moment at different phases of walking. The forward dynamic simulation results showed that, in normal walking, the ankle plantar flexors contributed significantly during single-limb-support. However, the ankle plantar flexors, knee extensors and hip extensors worked together during double-limb-support. In unexpected step-down walking, the important contributors on the support of the body during single-limb-support were not only ankle plantar flexors but also knee extensors. This study, analyzing the relative contributions of the lower limb joint moments for the body support, would be helpful to understand different unexpected walking conditions and compensatory mechanisms for various pathological gaits.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• 제31권5호
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• pp.292-297
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• 2019

Purpose: This study examined the effects of backward walking training with task orientation on the functional walking ability of children with cerebral palsy. Methods: This study was a single-blinded, randomized controlled trial with a crossover design conducted at a single rehabilitation facility with cross-over to the other intervention arm following a two-week break. For a total of 12 children with spastic hemiplegia cerebral palsy, the forward walking training group (n=6) underwent training three times a week for three weeks, 40 minutes a day, and the backward walking training group (n=6) was also trained under the same conditions. To identify the functional walking ability, variables, such as the walking speed, stride length, and step length, were measured using a walk analyzer (OptoGait, Microgate S.r.l, Italy). Results: Both groups showed significant increases in walking speed, stride length, and step length (p<0.01). The backward walking group showed more significant improvement in the walking speed from pre- to post-test (p<0.05). The gait characteristics were similar in the two groups (stride length and step length) but the walking speed in the backward walking group showed a mean difference between the positive effects higher than the forward walking group. Conclusion: Task-oriented backward walking training, which was conducted on the ground, may be a more effective treatment approach for improving the walking functions of spastic hemiplegia children than forward walk training.

• Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Science
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• 제8권3호
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• pp.141-145
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• 2019

Objective: The purpose of this study was to compare walking conditions (straight line and curved path) on walking patterns in persons who had experienced hemiplegic stroke and to determine whether if they adapt their walking pattern and performances according to changes in environmental conditions. Design: Cross-sectional study. Methods: Forty-four hemiplegic stroke survivors participated in this study. This study measured walking performance in three different walking conditions, such as straight walking, the more-affected leg in the inner curve walking, and less-affected leg in the inner curve walking conditions, and a 2-dimentional gait analysis system was used as a primary measurement. This study also measured secondary clinical factors including the Timed Up-and-Go Test, the Trunk Impairment Scale, and the Dynamic Gait Index. Results: After analyzing, cadence and step length of the less-affected side, stride length in the more-affected side, and stride length in less-affected side were significantly different among the three different walking conditions in this study (p<0.05), but other temporospatial parameters were not significant. Cadence was the largest in the straight walking condition. Step length in the less-affected side, stride length in the more-affected side, and stride length in less-affected side were also the longest in the straight walking condition. Conclusions: The results of the study suggest that hemiplegic stroke survivors show walking adaptability according to changes in walking demands and conditions, and moreover, cadence and step and stride lengths were significantly different between straight and curved walking conditions.

• 대한전기학회:학술대회논문집
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• 대한전기학회 1998년도 추계학술대회 논문집 학회본부 B
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• pp.546-548
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• 1998

This paper deals with ZMP trajectory generation in multi step walking of IWR-III(Inha Walking Robot) Biped Walking Robot. Biped walking is realized by combining 6-types of pre-defined steps and the actual ZMP can be used as a stability index of a robot. For the good tracking of actual ZMP, desired ZMP trajectory is generated during the whole walking time not for each step. Trajectory generation is performed considering velocities and accelerations of given via points using 5-th order polynomial interpolation method. As a result, balancing joints have a more smooth and continuous motion and actual ZMP has a better tracking ability. Numerical simulator is done by MATLAB to guarantee the walking of a robot satisfying the ZMP stability.