Improving walking and reducing foot pressure for people with diabetic nerve damage
Official title: Walking Function in Individuals with Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy: Biomechanical Mechanisms and Implications for Clinical Outcomes and Gait Retraining
Funded at Florida Institu /human/machine Cognition · NIH-11168786 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project tries real-time biofeedback to change how adults with diabetic peripheral neuropathy walk so they have lower harmful foot pressure and better walking speed.
Quick facts
| Grant type | Career grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Florida Institu /human/machine Cognition NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Pensacola, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2022 |
| Project end | August 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $131,085 |
| NIH project number | 5K01HD107294-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11168786 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults (21+) with diabetic peripheral neuropathy who have abnormal gait or reduced walking speed and can walk during testing would be the ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People without diabetic neuropathy, those unable to walk safely, or individuals with active foot ulcers or recent lower-limb amputation may not benefit or be eligible.
What this research studies
You would have your walking measured with motion-capture and pressure-sensing equipment to see how your foot loads and how much push-off (propulsion) you generate. Researchers will compare these gait measures in people with diabetic peripheral neuropathy to identify patterns linked to ulcers and poor walking. During some sessions you would get real-time biofeedback while walking to try shifting pressure and propulsion in safer ways. The team will monitor safety and feasibility to see whether this kind of tailored gait training could avoid increasing ulcer risk.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could lower risky foot pressure, reduce ulcer and amputation risk, and help people with diabetic neuropathy walk better.
How similar studies have gone: Gait biofeedback has shown promise in other groups, but its safety and effectiveness specifically for reducing plantar pressure in diabetic neuropathy is still relatively untested.
Where this research is happening
-
Florida Institu /human/machine Cognition
Pensacola, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Rendos, Nicole Kristen — Florida Institu /human/machine Cognition
- Study coordinator: Rendos, Nicole Kristen
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.