Validity of a Belt Mounted Accelerometer to Assess Walking Measures in Patients With Chronic Stroke

Twenty chronic stroke survivors will be recruited for this study from an independent neuro-physiotherapy practice and community exercise programme.Gait analysis will be used to look at several gait parameters through the use of a three-dimensional visual analysis system based in our Biomechanics Lab at the University of Winchester. Participants will attend testing one testing session of approximately 1 hour. During this testing session functional measures and walking trials will be assessed. Participants will first be asked to complete a set of simple movements that will contribute towards Fugl Meyer questionnaire. Twenty eight reflective markers will then be attached to specified joints and segments of the body, such as the thigh, with double sided sticky tape to allow for data collection through the camera system to collect kinematic data. The belt mounted accelerometer (G-Walk) will be positioned around the waist over the L5 vertebrae. Participants will be asked to perform 6 walking trials of 10m to collect 3D kinematic and accelerometer gait data.