Effect of Trunk Solution® on hemodynamics in the supplementary motor area during walking.
Arito Yozu, Junji Katsuhira, Hiroyuki Oka and 1 others
PMID 37405183WHAT IT FOUND
Wearing a spring-loaded trunk orthosis reduced brain activity in the supplementary motor area during walking in healthy adults.
Usual walking without the device showed no significant change. This suggests the orthosis may lower the neural effort required to keep the trunk upright.
Key findings
01In the independent gait condition, no significant changes occurred in supplementary motor area hemodynamics (p=0.183).
02In the gait with truncal support condition, oxy-Hb values significantly decreased during the walking phase (p=0.025).
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
The study included only 13 healthy young adults, so results may not apply to patients with neurological or musculoskeletal conditions. It measured only the immediate effect of wearing the orthosis; long-term effects were not investigated. The outcome was a brain imaging measure (hemodynamics), not a clinical measure of function, pain, or safety. The sample size was small and the study was not randomized or blinded.
Declared interests
The research was partially supported by a government ministry project and KAKENHI Grants. The text does not disclose conflicts of interest with the device manufacturer, Trunk Solution Co., Ltd.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret reduced brain activity as a clinical benefit. The study shows the orthosis changes neural effort in healthy people, but it does not prove that this leads to improved walking, reduced pain, or better function in patients.