Abstract
Purpose: Functional electrical stimulation (FES), an assistive device used for foot drop, has been found to improve the speed and energy cost of walking in people with multiple sclerosis (pwMS). This study aims to compare the immediate orthotic effect on walking of two different devices; the Odstock Dropped Foot Stimulator (ODFS) and Walkaide (WA).
Method: Twenty pwMS (10 female, 10 male, mean age 50.4¿±¿7.3 years) currently using ODFS were recruited. Participants walked for 5¿min around an elliptical 9.5¿m course at their preferred walking speed; once with ODFS, once with WA and once without FES on the same day of testing. Gait speed, distance and energy cost were measured.
Results: There was a statistically significant increase in walking speed for the ODFS (p¿=¿0.043) and a near to significant increase for the WA (p¿=¿0.06) in comparison to without FES. There were no differences between the ODFS and WA in terms of either walking speed (p¿=¿0.596) or energy cost (p¿=¿0.205).
Conclusions: This is the first pilot study to compare the effects of two different FES devices on walking. Further research recruiting a larger cohort of FES naive participants is needed.
Method: Twenty pwMS (10 female, 10 male, mean age 50.4¿±¿7.3 years) currently using ODFS were recruited. Participants walked for 5¿min around an elliptical 9.5¿m course at their preferred walking speed; once with ODFS, once with WA and once without FES on the same day of testing. Gait speed, distance and energy cost were measured.
Results: There was a statistically significant increase in walking speed for the ODFS (p¿=¿0.043) and a near to significant increase for the WA (p¿=¿0.06) in comparison to without FES. There were no differences between the ODFS and WA in terms of either walking speed (p¿=¿0.596) or energy cost (p¿=¿0.205).
Conclusions: This is the first pilot study to compare the effects of two different FES devices on walking. Further research recruiting a larger cohort of FES naive participants is needed.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 482-485 |
| Number of pages | 4 |
| Journal | Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology |
| Volume | 10 |
| Issue number | 6 |
| Early online date | 17 Mar 2014 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Mar 2015 |
Keywords
- multiple sclerosis
- functional electrical stimulation
- gait
- ODFS
- Walkaide
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Miller, L., Rafferty, D., Paul, L., & Mattison, P. (2015). A comparison of the orthotic effect of the Odstock Dropped Foot Stimulator and the Walkaide functional electrical stimulation systems on energy cost and speed of walking in Multiple Sclerosis. Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology, 10(6), 482-485. https://doi.org/10.3109/17483107.2014.898340