ProtoKinetics For Neurologists
Neurologists commonly see gait disorders in their patients, especially among those with central nervous system abnormalities and brain injuries.
When gait disorders impair posture and the ability to correct orientation, patients frequently fall when bending over or turning. Patients also develop insecure walking due to the fear of falling. Subtle variations in gait can indicate whether this is the onset of a disease or the normal progression of age.
Quantitative Gait Analysis (QGA) like that provided by ProtoKinetics PKMAS software and Zeno Walkway provide Neurologists with precise data to verify and validate the efficacy of interventions.
Using observational or bedside diagnostics alone may miss subtle deviations in a patient’s gait, resulting in an incomplete analysis of their condition. Gait analysis software is an essential tool for the accurate diagnosis of the patient’s condition.
Gait can define the neurological condition
Gait and balance disorders caused by neurological conditions are notoriously difficult to treat. For example, studies have shown that gait in patients with Parkinson’s disease may actually worsen with medication [1] as a result of medication-induced dyskinesia.
There is also growing evidence that gait variability provides unique information about gait characteristics in neurological disorders[2]. In one study, patients with Huntington’s Disease showed higher alterations in gait variability than patients with Parkinson’s Disease, Alzheimer’s Disease or Multiple Sclerosis. Quantitative Gait Analysis provides data to track the effect of the diagnosis and intervention in patients with these neurological conditions.
Quantitative Gait Analysis like that provided by ProtoKinetics PKMAS and Zeno Walkway, adds to the neurologist’s diagnostic tools with gait kinematics and gait kinetics data such as:
- temporal and spatial parameters
- coefficient of variation
- footfall
- relative pressure
- step and stride
- gait phase
- gait cycle
- velocity
- distance
- coordinates
- Center of Pressure (COP)
Measurable & Repeatable Data on Gait Analysis and Balance
ProtoKinetics gait analysis & assessment systems provide data on the impact of impairments on functional movement.
This allows neurologists a repeatable and precise method of measuring gait when first assessing a patient and in measuring their progress in walking, balance, and coordination.
This gait analysis data, when compared against a baseline measurement pre-intervention, can help verify efficacy of the intervention and determine when the effect of intervention has plateaued.
PKMAS gait analysis software and Zeno Walkway also offer an opportunity for neurology office staffs to maximize efficiency, as staff can be trained in gait analysis data collection and a physical therapist or Neurologist can interpret the parameters.
This also allows the Neurologist to accurately observe how gait function changes over time during the patient’s treatment.
As healthcare quickly moves towards outcomes which require quantitative analysis, shorter hospital stays, and increased function, measuring gait is very useful in tracking patient progress, functional loss or disability.
ProtoKinetics PKMAS software and Zeno Walkway provides the data to:
- Quantify functional gait outcomes
- Test intervention efficacy
- Track and report recovery and disease progression longitudinally
- Compare gait conditions to determine optimal performance with assistive devices, such as walker vs. cane or SMO vs. AFO (braces)
- Demonstrate to patients for understanding and increased compliance
- Send to insurance companies to justify clinical choices and speed reimbursement