Comprehensive measurement of stroke gait characteristics with a single accelerometer in the laboratory and community: a feasibility, validity and reliability study.
Sarah A Moore, Aodhan Hickey, Sue Lord and 3 others
PMID 29284544WHAT IT FOUND
A low-cost lower-back accelerometer was feasible and consistent over two community weeks, but it did not agree with the laboratory walkway for step length or asymmetry.
Do not use it alone for those features.
Key findings
01All 25 participants completed the laboratory protocol and the 7-day community protocol with no missing data.
02AX3 step count agreed with video step count, with a median difference of 4 (2%).
03Against GaitRite, agreement was moderate to good for mean step velocity, step time, stance time, and step time and stance time variability, but poor for all other micro characteristics.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The sample had a relatively high average gait speed and mild impairment by NIHSS, so it may not represent a typical stroke population. Two participants with fixed plastic ankle foot orthoses were excluded from analysis, so results apply to 23 analysed participants, not all 25 recruited. The study was not powered. Validity was poor for asymmetry and some micro characteristics against GaitRite, and the authors say algorithms need refinement. Gait quality and hemiplegia were not captured by standard measures, only clinical observation.
Declared interests
Funding was provided by the Medical Research Council and the Research Trainees Coordinating Centre.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that the AX3 is a validated clinical gait measurement for stroke. Agreement with the laboratory walkway was poor for asymmetry and other micro characteristics, and participants with a fixed ankle foot orthosis were excluded.