Movement Variability Research Projects

Longitudinal Analysis of Gait Variability to Predict Falls in Parkinson's Disease

Biomechanics Faculty: Dr. Vivien Marmelat
Collaborators: Dr. Danish Bhatti
Graduate Assistants: Ryan Meidinger

Project Description: People with Parkinson's disease (PD) are at higher risk of falls due to impairments in locomotor control and attentional processes. The broad goal of this research project is to improve the prediction of falls in people with PD through a comprehensive multidisciplinary approach that includes longitudinal measurements of gait, brain activity and cognitive capacities during dual-task walking. The information gained from this project may be used to improve the early detection of locomotor and cognitive changes in PD leading to falls.

Exoskeleton-Assisted Walking in Chronic Stroke Survivors

Faculty: Dr. Mukul Mukherjee
Collaborators: Dr. Philippe Malcolm
Graduate Assistants: Takashi Sado

Project Description: In this research project, an innovative measure will be tested to determine how the more and less affected legs in stroke survivors work together. An important healthcare application of our study is the assessment of exoskeleton-assisted walking in chronic stroke survivors.

Gaitprints as Predictors of Disease and Disability for Effective Rehabilitation Engineering

Project Description: After decades of human movement research, there are still many unknowns about human gait, One of the most challenging and intriguing unknowns is related to the following fundamental research question: are there characteristics associated with human gait that are unique to each individual in the same manner as fingerprints? This project sheds light into this question by focusing on the fact that, despite being similar, no two steps that humans take are identical. This natural feature of variability that human walking exhibits can reveal critical information about human well-being. In addition, the investigation of the uniqueness of human gait characteristics under the lens of gait variability can be utilized to predict disease and physiological decline and improve rehabilitation.

Coordination of Upper Extremities in Response to Auditory and Visual Cues

Project Description: We are investigating changes in coordination of the upper extremities in response to novel auditory and visual cues. The goal is to understand coordination-related changes in brain activity that occur during movement using a tool called functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). Understanding this relationship – between coordination and brain activity – may lead to the development new rehabilitation techniques that will benefit individuals that have difficulty coordinating their limbs or learning new patterns of coordinated movement.