Error-augmented Walking on Gait Performance and Brain Activities in Stroke

This three-year study is proposed to document the effect and further implementation of error-augmented walking on gait performance and brain activities in individuals with stroke. Note that brain activations of post-stroke individuals during locomotion is a relatively unexplored realm. In the first year, study aims to observe the gait performance and brain activity of post-stroke and healthy participants when they walk on the split-belt treadmill, which inputs errors and causing adaptation during locomotion. Second year, study focuses on the long-term effect in aspect of brain activation and gait performance after training the post-stroke individuals with error-augmented treadmill walking. Lastly, study aim to investigate the long-term effect of practically applying the concept of error-augmented training strategy into clinical physical therapy. The first-year study is a cross-sectional study to recruit post-stroke and healthy participants. Gait performance will be measured by GaitUp system and brain activity during each walking trails will be measured concurrently by functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). Cadence, stride time, stride length and swing cycle are the gait parameters that will be recorded. Also, symmetry ratio and variability of temporal and spatial parameters will also be calculated. Brain area of interest in this study will be bilateral premotor cortex (PMC), supplementary motor area (SMA) and medial part of primary motor cortex (M1). Study will run one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) with repeated measures and, if needed, Tukey post hoc test will be used to document the within group and between group differences with p\<.05. The second year and third year study are single-blinded (assessor), randomized controlled trials. In the second year, study will recruit and randomize post-stroke participants into one of the two training groups, error-augmented treadmill training group (ETT group) and active control group (AC group). In ETT group, pa