Engineering Mechanics

Proceedings Vol. 26 (2020)

ENGINEERING MECHANICS 2020

Copyright © 2020 Brno University of Technology Institute of Solid Mechanics, Mechatronics and Biomechanics

 

Nowakowska-Lipiec K., Michnik R., Mańka A., Niedzwiedź S., Twardawa P., Turner B., Romaniszyn P., Danecka A., Mitas A. W.
pages 388 - 391, full text

The research aimed to assess the effect of various types of metro-rhythmic stimulation and the manner of their application on gait symmetry in healthy individuals. Research-related tests involved a group of 22 adults without locomotor function disorders. The test participants were divided into two equal groups: group 1 - persons, who were not informed how to behave after hearing sounds (stimulation), group 2 - persons instructed before a test to walk in the rhythm of music (stimulation). The tests of locomotor functions were performed using a Zebris FDM-S treadmill. All of the tests involving sound stimulation were performed for a preferable gait velocity. The analysis involved a change in the index of stepping time symmetry and the length of a step during gait with various types of sound stimulation (arrhythmic stimulus, rhythmic stimuli at a different rate). It was demonstrated that short-term rhythmic sound stimuli at the rate equal to stepping frequency at a preferable gait velocity affected the symmetrisation of stepping time in healthy adults, regardless of whether they had been informed how to react to stimulation. A short-term effect of the RAS on the symmetry of step length was not observed.

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