Date of Award
2013
Publication Type
Master Thesis
Degree Name
M.H.K.
Department
Kinesiology
Keywords
Health and environmental sciences, Asymmetric gait, Attentional focus, Dynamic stability, Hemiplegic gait, Supra postural task
Supervisor
Nancy McNevin
Rights
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Abstract
Dynamic stability during walking is important to prevent falls and to integrate patients into community ambulation. This study tries to examine the effect of attentional focus, mainly external focus of attention on a supra postural task while walking, in hemiplegic patients. Three cases were examined in detail. The participants were made to walk on a GAITRite(TM) walkway under three experimental conditions: 1) Baseline walking 2) Walking with a supra postural task with no instructional cues and performing a verbal task 3) Walking with a supra postural task with specific attentional focus instructions and the spatial and temporal parameters are recorded. The supra postural task was to hold a mug assumed to contain water. The asymmetry ratios and variability are computed to examine the changes in the symmetry of the gait pattern in each experimental condition. The results show that attentional focus does not improve temporal and spatial symmetry in hemiplegic patients where spasticity and balance issues are persistent.
Recommended Citation
Kunju Kunju, Jecy, "The effect of attentional focus on a supra postural task in hemiplegic gait" (2013). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 4894.
https://scholar.uwindsor.ca/etd/4894