Protokinetics, a leading provider of gait analysis systems, is delighted to celebrate the achievement of Kristin Lowry, PT, Ph.D., who recently received the Excellence In Research Award from the Academy of Geriatric Physical Therapy, a component of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA).
Dr. Lowry’s paper, Spatiotemporal variability underlying skill in curved-path walking, published in the physical therapy trade Gait and Posture 2019;67:137-141, made use of Protokinetics’ instrumented walkway, Zeno Walkway, and its associated software, PKMAS, to collect data on her test subjects. The purpose of the research was to determine if greater spatiotemporal variability during curved path walking related to better curved path walking ability in older adults.
The research paper was nominated by Traci A. Bush, Chair and Associate Professor of the Department of Physical Therapy at Des Moines University. Dr. Bush noted, “the generally clinically accepted notion that greater variability in gait is poorer performance is refuted by the evidence of the apparent necessity of greater spatial variability in stride width of walking to skillfully manage walking curved paths. Not only does this paper illustrate Dr. Lowry’s research but also her commitment to engage and excite students in physical therapy in geriatric clinical research.”
According to the University of Des Moines website, “Dr. Lowry’s primary research interest is the measurement and retraining of walking skill. Specifically, her work focuses on investigating the control variables and tasks that best capture walking skill, and the development and comparison of gait rehabilitation interventions for older adults with mobility disability and persons with Parkinson’s disease.”
Michael Rowling, COO of Protokinetics offered his congratulations to Dr. Lowry on behalf of the company: “ProtoKinetics is extremely proud of the consistently excellent research being done by Dr. Lowry. We could not be happier that she was recognized for her research in non-linear gait, an important aspect of human motion. Dr. Lowry’s work is helping to shape the analysis of these movements, paving the way for future research.” Dr. Lowry, in thanking Protokinetics for their support said, “This work would not have been possible without the capabilities of the Zeno walkway and the support of the Protokinetics team”.
The Excellence In Research Award from APTA is given annually to a physical therapist who has authored a paper dealing with clinical geriatric physical therapy research. Nominated papers are judged upon the clarity of writing, the potential impact on physical therapy and other disciplines and the applicability of the content to clinical geriatric physical therapy. More information on the award is on the APTA website here.
Spatiotemporal Variability Underlying Skill in Curved-Path Walking paper co-author Taylor Wood with APTA Excellence In Research award.