The Brain Correlates of Patterned Plantar Stimulation During Gait in Stroke Survivors

Stroke survivors suffer from sensory and functional impairments, which is seen in their walking characteristics and dynamic balance. Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is a prominent approach for defining brain reorganization after a stroke. It has been shown that distinct patterns of tactile stimulation on the palm of the hand produces characteristic sensorimotor reorganization. To the best of our knowledge, no studies have investigated how varying patterns of stimulation affect gait, and how those gait changes could be connected to the brain responses from the stimulations. The aim of this study is to investigate how varying patterns of vibro-tactile stimulation to the feet affect stroke survivors’ gait and brain responses. For this study stroke survivors will complete a walking portion, where dynamic balance and gait characteristics will be measured, and an MRI portion, where brain responses will be analyzed. For each portion participants will experience four patterns of stimulations to the plantar surfaces of the feet: no stimulation, in synchrony stimulation, sequential circular stimulation, and random asynchronous stimulation. With these results we aim to determine if tactile stimulation that mimics the feeling of the ground passing along the foot during normal walking (sequential circular stimulation) effects balance and gait differently than other stimulation patterns. In addition, to determine if post-stroke sensorimotor reorganization underlies such behavior. Overall, this study would aid in the understanding of how a stroke survivor’s brain is reorganized post-stroke, and how augmenting the somatosensory information from the feet can be used for gait rehabilitation in the future