Understanding how arm movements affect walking in patients with mobility issues
Mechanical Determinants of Upper Limbs Oscillation During Gait
This study looks at how moving your arms while walking affects people with mobility issues, like those with multiple sclerosis or Parkinson's, to see if it can help improve their walking.
Quick facts
| Study type | Observational |
|---|---|
| Enrollment | 25 (estimated) |
| Ages | 18 Years to 80 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | Istituto Auxologico Italiano Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Milan) |
| Trial ID | NCT05778474 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this trial studies
This observational study investigates the mechanical factors influencing arm oscillation during walking in individuals with various mobility impairments, including multiple sclerosis, post-stroke hemiparesis, Parkinson's disease, cerebral palsy, and amputation. The research aims to determine whether arm swing is actively controlled or passive and its potential benefits in gait rehabilitation. By analyzing healthy subjects alongside those with pathologies, the study seeks to uncover the relationship between arm movements and the body's center of mass during gait at different walking speeds.
Who should consider this trial
Good fit: Ideal candidates include individuals with unilateral motor impairments due to conditions like stroke, Parkinson's disease, or multiple sclerosis who can walk at least 100 meters without support.
Not a fit: Patients with systemic pathologies affecting balance and gait, or those with significant cognitive impairments, may not benefit from this study.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this study could enhance rehabilitation strategies for patients with mobility impairments by integrating arm movements into gait training.
How similar studies have performed: While the specific focus on arm swing during gait in this context may be novel, related studies have shown that incorporating arm movements in rehabilitation can improve outcomes for similar patient populations.
Eligibility criteria
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * presence of claudication (spatiotemporal asymmetry between subsequent steps), at visual inspection; * unilateral motor impairments of one lower limb as a consequence of various pathologic conditions, such as (not not limited to): poststroke hemiparesis (ischemic or hemorrhagic), Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, unilateral amputation with prosthetic correction, surgical orthopedic interventions; * ability to walk for at least 100 meters without support; prostheses or orthoses admitted. * ability to wittingly sign the informed consent form Exclusion Criteria: * drug therapy underway up to three months before recruitment, with impact on balance and gait; * systemic pathologies or other sensory or neurological pathologies with impact on balance and gait; * Mini Mental State (MMSE) score \< 24/30; * alterations in the passive mobility of upper limbs; * painful syndrome which could alter the locomotion; * pregnancy
Where this trial is running
Milan
- Istituto Auxologico Italiano — Milan, Italy (Recruiting)
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Luigi Tesio, MD — Istituto Auxologico Italiano
- Study coordinator: Luigi Tesio, MD
- Email: l.tesio@auxologico.it
- Phone: +39 02619116151
How to participate
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
- Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.