Human Movement Database
Human Movement Database
This study will collect information on the different ways people control limb and body
 movements. This information will be used to develop a database on normal movements and
 adaptive movements of people who have diseases that affect the way they move. The database
 will serve as a tool to improve diagnosis and treatment of patients with movement-related
 problems.

 Volunteers of all ages who have normal movement patterns or who have developed different ways
 to perform movement tasks may be eligible for this study. A physician or physical therapist
 will screen candidates to determine their strength, flexibility and range of motion of
 joints.

 Participants will be asked to perform movements such as walking, walking up or down stairs,
 standing quietly or reaching for an object or using treadmill. For the test, the arms and
 legs are wrapped with a soft, rubber-like material to which small plastic reflective balls
 are attached. A piece of firm material called a shell may be attached to the rubber sleeves
 or other areas of the body. Then the volunteer performs the specified task several times
 while special cameras record the movement. These cameras will record the positions of the
 reflective balls during movement and may show the person s face or body. Electrical activity
 in the muscles also may be measured, using small metal electrodes attached to the surface of
 the skin with an adhesive bandage.
The purpose of this study is to develop a database of normative and adaptive control
 strategies for human motion.Volunteers will serve as subjects after they complete a
 neuromusculoskeletal screening exam. Subjects will be asked to perform one or more tasks
 related to the execution of activities of daily living such as: walking on the ground,
 walking on a treadmill, quiet and perturbed standing, stair ascent and descent, turning and
 jumping, cycling, elliptical training, and isolated upper and lower extremity limb movements
 or trunk movements. The subjects movement patterns will be recorded using a three-dimensional
 motion tracking system. Motion data will be analyzed using a rigid body six degree-of-freedom
 approach when applicable. Temporal/spatial, kinematic, kinetic, and surface electromyographic
 variables will be collected and calculated. When only temporal-spatial parameters are of
 interest, an instrumented portable walkway system may be used.

 Many factors affect the ability to move. The ones we are mainly interested in investigating
 include muscle weakness, spasticity, and dynamic balance. To quantify strength or spasticity,
 a force transducer is needed such as a Biodex isokinetic dynamometer which is a standard
 rehabilitation assessment and training device, or a more simple handheld dynamometer can be
 used that the person presses against as force is recorded. For the spasticity tests, a person
 or a machine such as the Biodex moves a joint through an arc of motion (e.g. elbow, knee, or
 ankle) at a range of speeds from 5-240 degrees per second while resistance to motion is being
 recorded or graded subjectively. EMG and joint position may be collected simultaneously
 during the passive movements. The dynamic balance tests will be performed on a force plate or
 using a clinical balance testing device, the Equitest, by Neurcom. To determine if electrical
 stimulation (ES) improves limb movement, walking, and balance, a device such as the WalkAide
 may be used in patients who have some dysfunction in their lower extremities. Only persons
 with central nervous system injuries who have a foot drop gait pattern will be given the
 opportunity to use this device for 3-6 months. The WalkAide is worn below the knee and
 delivers individually programmed ES to aid in muscle function of the ankle.

 Patient groups will be identified clinically or statistically. Group means and standard
 deviations will then be computed. It is hoped the database developed may serve as a tool by
 which individual patient data may be compared in order to facilitate the diagnosis and
 optimize the treatment and clinical outcome of patients with movement related problems.

 An over ground harness system may be used for some of the over ground or instrumented gait
 and balance assessments if there is concern that the patient is too weak or unbalanced and
 therefore may trip or fall during the activity, or to help facilitate more normal patterns by
 decreasing the load borne by the trunk and/or legs.
-  Any volunteer of any age from birth to old age who is deemed medically fit to
 participate and is willing to provide their informed consent will be included in the
 study.