We are conducting a research project to evaluate the feasibility of a 6-week gait training intervention using a wearable ankle resistance device in older adults. We believe that participants of this training will demonstrate improvements in walking performance (e.g., increased walking speed and push-off intensity).
You will first visit the Applied Biomechanics Laboratory to participate in the consenting process and, for those who are eligible and agree to participate, a baseline session that will take up to 3 hours. You will walk overground to find preferred walking speed, and then begin treadmill walking. You will be comfortably fit with a safety harness and instructed on all safety procedures. You will then walk at their preferred speed on a force-sensing treadmill for 5 min to acclimate to the equipment. You will then complete a randomized series of walking trials at their preferred and maximum safe walking speeds on the treadmill determined during overground walking. In another trial, you will wear the Wearable Ankle Power Training (WearAPT) device for 20 minutes. You will then visit the lab twice per week for 6 weeks. During each visit, you will walk on a treadmill for 20 minutes at their preferred speed while wearing the WearAPT device. Lastly, the baseline procedure will be repeated to conclude the trial.
$15/hr, plus a $20 bonus upon completion of all sessions
Requirements for healthy volunteers are different than for those with a specific condition. If you are interested in becoming a healthy volunteer for this study, use the below categories to determine if you are able to participate.
UNC Applied Biomechanics Lab
Mary Ellen Jones Building (UNC-Chapel Hill)
116 Manning Dr, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
Jason Franz
Biomedical Engineering - Undergraduate
Clinical or Medical
Interventional
Aging
Bones, Joints, Muscles
Movement
25-1104