The effects of parallel bars, body weight support and speed on the modulation of the locomotor pattern of spastic paretic gait. A preliminary communication.

The effects of walking with and without parallel bars, providing 40% body weight support (BWS) and increasing speed on the gait pattern of spastic paretic subjects during treadmill locomotion were investigated. In asymmetrically involved subjects, walking without parallel bars led to a more symmetrical gait pattern with decreased compensation of the less involved side. This was accompanied by changes in electromyographic (EMG) and sagittal angular displacement profiles which favoured a more normal swing phase of the more involved limb. When symmetrically involved subjects walked without parallel bars, increases in EMG activity, with prolonged activation during the stance phase were noted, especially in the distal muscles. Providing 40% BWS facilitated gait when walking without parallel bars especially in the asymmetrically or severely involved subjects who showed marked difficulty at 0% BWS. Forty percent BWS led to a decrease in clonus associated with walking without parallel bars. Higher treadmill speeds increased clonus in some subjects while in others it only caused a small increase in EMG amplitude. Implications for gait training are discussed.