Objective: The need for a low resource gait assessment model has prompted the researcher to conceptualize a study on how a commonly used children footwear can be adopted for gait assessment in children. Light-emitting and sound-producing shoes are popularly worn by children on a daily basis and present an understanding that within the gait cycle, exertion of force on the footwear would light it up or produce sound. The light or sound presents an evidence of weight bearing under the contact foot during the heel strike and foot flat phases of gait
Background: Gait is the dynamic result of the interaction of the neuromuscular and skeletal systems. Gait deviations can occur in the pediatric population when there is dysfunction. Clinical gait analysis (CGA) is needed to identify, understand and support the management of gait deviations. CGA assesses a large amount of quantitative data concerning patients’ gait characteristics, such as video, kinematics, kinetics, electromyography and plantar pressure data.
Gait deviations in the pediatric population are more readily identified by comparing the normal gait parameters between apparently healthy children and those with dysfunction. Performing gait assessment in the pediatric population is not usually an easy task in low resource centers where gait analysis can be done with minimal contacts with the children
Method: The concept includes a video recording of the gait cycle over a known distance and analyzing the video to determine the values of different gait parameters. Parameters such gait speed, step length, stride length, stride width etc will be determined. Further study will involve using the method to analyze the differences in the gait of children with cerebral palsy and other pediatric conditions
Results: Not applicable
Conclusion: The concept relies on the light emission as an attractiveproposition (visual and auditory cues) for pediatric population to partake in gait studies. The emission or non-emission as well as the production or non-production of sound where it occurs may reveal points of force exertion or otherwise by the contact foot
To cite this abstract in AMA style:
O. Dada. Conceptualization of Gait Assessment Model Using Auditory and Visual Cues [abstract]. Mov Disord. 2021; 36 (suppl 1). https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/conceptualization-of-gait-assessment-model-using-auditory-and-visual-cues/. Accessed May 12, 2025.« Back to MDS Virtual Congress 2021
MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/conceptualization-of-gait-assessment-model-using-auditory-and-visual-cues/