Approaches to Sensory Motor Recovery and Function

Intensive Cross Cutting Lightning Round

(607479) A Wearable Device for Sensory Motor Recovery, Function and Balance

Presenter(s)

• 

  Lars Oddsson, PhD

  CTO, Co-Founder
  RxFunction Inc.
  Eden Prairie, Minnesota

Panelist(s)

• HC

  Helen Cohen, EdD, OTR

  Professor, Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery
  Baylor College of Medicine
  Houston, Texas

Presenter(s)

• 

  Diane Wrisley, PT, PhD, NCS

  Professor
  Wingate University
  Wingate, North Carolina

A new wearable lower limb sensory neuroprosthesis to substitute lost plantar sensation from peripheral neuropathy causing balance problems, is being used in walk2Wellness, a multi-site clinical trial (NCT #03538756). Walkasins provides gentle directional tactile cues around the ankle reflecting foot pressure measured with an instrumented in-shoe foot-pad. Patients react to new sensory balance cues and incorporate them to improve gait and balance. walk2Wellness investigates long-term chronic use effects of sensory substitution on clinical and patient-reported outcomes; balance, gait function, quality-of-life, physical activity/participation and pain. This symposium shares recent observations from the walk2Wellness trial and discusses their translation into clinical practice.

Learning Objectives:

• discuss the concept of sensory substitution and understand how new technology can affect function
• describe outcomes commonly used to evaluate gait and balance function in the clinic
• describe short- and long-term use data showing improvements in gait and balance function