|
MU Researchers
Receive Grant To Study
Mobility In Stroke Patients
A team of University of Missouri Health Care
researchers recently received a $190,000 grant from HealthSouth
Corporation to study the effects of robotic, gait-assisted
therapy on the mobility of stroke victims.
 The
one-year study will be conducted by a team of researchers
from the Department of Physical Therapy at MU’s School
of Health Professions and the Department of Physical Medicine
and Rehabilitation at MU’s School of Medicine. The
researchers include Dr. Stephen Sayers, an assistant professor
of physical therapy; Dr. Joe Burris, an assistant professor
of physical medicine and rehabilitation; and Dr. Gregory
Worsowicz, an associate professor and HealthSouth Chair
of the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.
Researchers will use an AutoAmbulator, a piece
of equipment that incorporates body weight-supported treadmill
training with robotics to determine if the device helps
stroke victims regain mobility faster than traditional therapies.
They believe robotic gait-assisted therapy may facilitate
symmetrical gait patterns, discourage the development of
compensatory strategies observed in traditional manually
assisted gait training and allow therapists to initiate
gait training earlier in the rehabilitation process.
 "Robotic,
gait-assisted therapy in the acute stroke patient population
is currently an under-explored approach to rehabilitation,"
Worsowicz said. "With the large number of new cases
of acute stroke in the United States each year, it is critical
to identify the best rehabilitation strategy for stroke
survivors to ensure a functional level of ambulation and
an improved quality of life."
The study will be a single-blind randomized
control trial involving 36 acute stroke survivors. Participants
will be categorized based on their mobility status and randomly
assigned to traditional training or AutoAmbulator training
four to five times a week for four weeks. Outcome measures
to be tested will include measures of balance, gait characteristics,
functional independence and quality of life.
|
