Article

Classification of the gait patterns of boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy and their relationship to function.

Shriners Hospitals for Children, Portland, Oregon 97239, USA.
Journal of child neurology (impact factor: 1.59). 09/2010; 25(9):1103-9. DOI:10.1177/0883073810371002 pp.1103-9
Source: PubMed

ABSTRACT Corticosteroids have recently been shown to reduce expected loss of muscle strength in patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy and extend the time they can walk. We evaluated 43 boys with the condition to determine whether taking corticosteroids is associated with differences in gait pattern, gross motor skills, energy efficiency, and timed motor performance. We used the gait deviation index to quantify the degree of gait pathology and a single measure of gait quality. There were minimal differences in gait pattern, gross motor skills, energy efficiency, or timed motor performance in boys who took corticosteroids compared with those who did not. Clustering by gait deviation index, however, revealed subtle differences between groups in gait patterns, gross motor skills, and energy efficiency. We conclude that, in boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, gait pattern deviations are related to function, which can provide further insight into the understanding of disease progression and treatment options to enhance function and maintain ambulation.

0 0
 · 
1 Bookmark
 · 
71 Views
  • Article: Integrating strength tests of amputees within the protocol of conventional clinical gait analysis: a novel approach.
    Daniel W W Heitzmann, Michael Guenther, Benjamin Becher, Merkur Alimusaj, Julia Block, Stefan van Drongelen, Thomas Dreher, Frank Braatz, Sebastian I Wolf
    [show abstract] [hide abstract]
    ABSTRACT: Abstract Clinical experience tells us that the lower-limb amputees are one of the patient groups who clearly suffer from a strength deficit in their involved side. However, there is no obvious evidence for the relation between the residual limb strength and walking ability in this population. Correlating the results of the conventional clinical gait analysis (CGA) with strength tests could help to find out how deficits in strength impact the amputees' gait. In this contribution, a new device for measuring the isometric muscle strength of the hip and the knee was tested for feasibility. Three groups were tested: one group of 11 healthy subjects (29±5 years) to test the repeatability of the device, two unilateral amputees (one transfemoral for 56 years, one transtibial for 65 years), and a reference group of 17 healthy subjects (55±10 years). The new method presents an adequate technique to integrate strength testing within a standard protocol of the CGA. Results showed to be repeatable within sessions [i.e., within-day, intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC)>0.972] and between repeated measurements (i.e., day-to-day, ICC>0.765). The tested amputees showed clear deficits in maximum isometric joint moments in their most distal joint. The first results suggest evidence for a relation between the maximum isometric joint moments and gait deviations in amputees.
    Biomedizinische Technik/Biomedical Engineering 03/2013; · 0.53 Impact Factor
  • Source
    Article: Gait disturbances in dystrophic hamsters.
    Thomas G Hampton, Ajit Kale, Ivo Amende, Wenlong Tang, Scott McCue, Hemmi N Bhagavan, Case G VanDongen
    [show abstract] [hide abstract]
    ABSTRACT: The delta-sarcoglycan-deficient hamster is an excellent model to study muscular dystrophy. Gait disturbances, important clinically, have not been described in this animal model. We applied ventral plane videography (DigiGait) to analyze gait in BIO TO-2 dystrophic and BIO F1B control hamsters walking on a transparent treadmill belt. Stride length was ∼13% shorter (P < .05) in TO-2 hamsters at 9 months of age compared to F1B hamsters. Hindlimb propulsion duration, an indicator of muscle strength, was shorter in 9-month-old TO-2 (247 ± 8 ms) compared to F1B hamsters (272 ± 11 ms; P < .05). Braking duration, reflecting generation of ground reaction forces, was delayed in 9-month-old TO-2 (147 ± 6 ms) compared to F1B hamsters (126 ± 8 ms; P < .05). Hindpaw eversion, evidence of muscle weakness, was greater in 9-month-old TO-2 than in F1B hamsters (17.7 ± 1.2° versus 8.7 ± 1.6°; P < .05). Incline and decline walking aggravated gait disturbances in TO-2 hamsters at 3 months of age. Several gait deficits were apparent in TO-2 hamsters at 1 month of age. Quantitative gait analysis demonstrates that dystrophic TO-2 hamsters recapitulate functional aspects of human muscular dystrophy. Early detection of gait abnormalities in a convenient animal model may accelerate the development of therapies for muscular dystrophy.
    Journal of Biomedicine and Biotechnology 01/2011; 2011:235354. · 2.44 Impact Factor
Data provided are for informational purposes only. Although carefully collected, accuracy cannot be guaranteed. The impact factor represents a rough estimation of the journal's impact factor and does not reflect the actual current impact factor. Publisher conditions are provided by RoMEO. Differing provisions from the publisher's actual policy or licence agreement may be applicable.

Keywords

ambulation
 
boys
 
Clustering
 
Corticosteroids
 
differences
 
disease progression
 
Duchenne muscular dystrophy
 
gait deviation index
 
gait pathology
 
gait pattern
 
gait pattern deviations
 
gait patterns
 
gait quality
 
gross motor skills
 
muscle strength
 
subtle differences
 
timed motor performance