Disclosures: Nabela Enam, MD: Nothing to disclose

Objective: To develop an augmented reality-based treadmill program and evaluate its efficacy as a gait assessment and rehabilitation modality to improve gait symmetry and dynamic balance in individuals with post-stroke hemiparesis

Design: Randomized, control study.

Setting: Treadmill training program with or without augmented reality

Participants: Healthy control to validate equipment and 6 post-stroke patients with hemiparetic gait (3 stroke control, 3 stroke intervention)

Interventions: Both stroke groups undergo a treadmill intervention 3 days per week for total of 4 weeks. The stroke control group performs standard treadmill training without augmented reality. The stroke intervention group goes through treadmill training with augmented reality in the form of projected stepping stones to guide step length.

Main Outcome Measures: Pre and post intervention data collection including: 6-minute walk test to assess endurance, dynamic gait index (DGI), Berg balance scale (BBS), Timed up and go (TUG), and physical activity enjoyment scale (PACES).

Results: Data interpretation from the healthy control showed that with feedback from augmented reality during treadmill training, the participant’s center of pressure could be manipulated towards symmetry by adjusting step length. Data collection for the stroke control and intervention groups is ongoing.

Conclusions: Augmented reality treadmill training is a novel approach with the potential to impact and improve post-stroke gait training by providing patient-specific and interactive training in a safe environment.

Level of Evidence: Level II

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PM&R Meeting Abstracts - https://pmrjabstracts.org/abstract/augmented-reality-treadmill-training-as-a-modality-to-improve-gait-rehabilitation-post-stroke/