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Delivering feedback of trailing limb ankle in a powered ankle exoskeleton

Persons with stroke suffer limited walking distances due to sensory and motor changes following injury. Robotic exoskeletons have become a recent topic of study, specifically to the ankle joint to provide walking assistance and enable those to walk for longer distances. However, no study has investigated how to teach persons to use these assistive devices to greatest benefit. This study aims to determine the optimal settings and feedback with an ankle exoskeleton in order to teach a person with a stroke to use the device optimally.

Age & Gender

  • 18 years ~ 99 years
  • Male, Female, Gender Inclusive

Visit Availability

  • Standard business hours (M-F, 8-5)
  • Extended hours (M-F, early morning or evening)
  • Weekend hours, if needed

Location

United States (Nationwide)

What will be asked of you

You will be asked to participate in 1-16 testing sessions at UNC-Chapel Hill. You will need to wear comfortable shoes that can be laced up for the testing session. You will start by filling out a questionnaire about your overall behavior, mood, and memory (participants with stroke). We will then do some brief tests of your movements and coordination and have you walk across a 16-foot mat that records your walking speed. The investigators will next attach small, reflective balls to your pelvis, thighs, calves, and shoes. These small balls act as a way to capture walking data while you are in the lab. Finally, we will place sensors on your muscles to measure their activity. You will be asked to walk at a comfortable speed on the treadmill for five minutes to practice, and 20 minutes to collect data on different walking conditions. We will show you a graph on a TV that is mounted in front of the treadmill. The graph will show you how far you are stepping through with the limb wearing an exo. We will ask you to reach certain targets on the graph. If completing the additional training (participants with stroke), we will do the same type of testing on flat ground over sensors that are mounted in the floor. You will be asked to make several passes over this specific part of the ground before the initial training, after the initial training, and then once again after three months of the training.

In-person visits:
1-16
Total length of participation:
Single session OR 4 months

Looking for Specific Volunteers

Able to participate:

  • Stroke (>six months post injury)
  • Walk for 20 minutes

Not eligible if:

  • Uncontrolled cardiac disorders
  • Seizures
  • Metabolic disorders
  • Respiratory disorders

Looking for Healthy Volunteers

Requirements for healthy volunteers are different than for those with a specific condition. If you are interested in becoming a healthy volunteer for this study, use the below categories to determine if you are able to participate.

Able to participate:

  • Walk for 20 minutes
  • Generally healthy

Not eligible if:

  • Uncontrolled cardiac disorders
  • Seizures
  • Metabolic disorders
  • Respiratory disorders

Contact the Team

Visit Location

Contact & Visit Location

Primary Contact

Primary Visit Location

ReGaiN Laboratory
Medical School Wing D (UNC-Chapel Hill)
336 Emergency Room Dr, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, USA

Additional Study Information

Principal Investigator

Michael Lewek
Allied Health - Physical Therapy

Study Type

Clinical or Medical
Observational

Study Topics

Healthy Volunteer or General Population

IRB Number

21-0929

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