Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Assessment Of Gait, Balance, And Falls In Individuals With Neurodegenerative Diseases, Lauren Tueth

WUSM Theses and Dissertations – All Programs

Neurodegenerative diseases are a group of disorders that impact the brain and lead to neuronal degeneration. This degeneration causes many different symptoms, which are often grouped into motor, cognitive, and psychiatric domains. Individuals with these disorders can experience symptoms from multiple domains at the same time, but little is known about how these distinct symptoms may impact each other.

In Chapter 2, we explored the intersection of balance and cognitive impairment in individuals with Alzheimer disease (AD). AD is traditionally discussed in the context of the dementia symptoms, but people with AD also experience motor deficits. Falls are a huge …

A Comparison Of Spinal Reflex Function And Morphological Adaptations Of The Achilles Tendon Between Individuals Chronically Post-Stroke And Healthy Controls, Migi Contreras, Mira Seekins, Johanna Mendez, Trevor Diez

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Purpose/Hypothesis: The hallmark gait deviation in individuals with post-stroke hemiparesis is slow walking speed. Reduction in gait speed after stroke is influenced by decreased propulsive forces, which may likely be related to impaired spinal circuit function and spasticity of the paretic plantarflexors. Chronic muscle tone maladaptations in paretic ankle plantarflexors can result in altered Achilles tendon (AT) morphology, therefore leading to altered mechanical properties, force transmission capabilities and subsequent insufficient propulsive forces during walking. The purpose of this study is to characterize the chronic maladaptations in both the spinal Ia afferent loop excitability and AT morphology after stroke lesions in …

Better Gait Quality And Speed In Adults With Down Syndrome When Wearing Supportive Shoes Compared To Unsupportive Shoes And Barefoot, Bailey Gosse, Kimberly Nguyen, Zoe Zelensky

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Background: Individuals with Down syndrome (DS), often experience a slower gait speed and decreased quality of gait. Different types of footwear have shown changes in gait in people without DS. The current study aimed to examine the differences between wearing commercially available supportive shoes, unsupportive shoes, and no footwear on gait quality and speed in people with DS.

Methods: In this repeated measures study, 20 adults with DS walked under three footwear conditions: supportive, unsupportive, and no footwear. Gait deviations were scored according to the Rancho Los Amigos Observational Gait Analysis (OGA) and gait speed was measured using the 10-Meter …

Limb Speed Perception Accuracy In Neurodegenerative Disease, Brandmeir Lynn Cheryl

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Movement is a fundamental human activity, enabling us to engage with our surroundings. Consequently, a well-operating neuromuscular system is essential for maintaining quality of life. Motion is not only integral for the basic function of daily living, but also plays a significant role in enhancing our physical, mental, and emotional health. The importance of this system becomes abundantly clear when it is compromised, such as with neurodegenerative disease.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD), followed by Parkinson’s disease (PD) are the two most common neurodegenerative diseases that profoundly affect millions of individuals worldwide (Lamptey et al., 2022). Characterized by distinct but sometimes overlapping …