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Completed

NCT Number: NCT07347756

The Effect of Gait Imagery on the Muscular Activity of Lower Limbs and Lower Body Kinematics in Stroke Survivors

The aim of the study is to evaluate the effect of normal gait imagery and gait on a line imagery on lower limb muscle activity and lower body kinematics in stroke survivors.

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Key information

Conditions

Motor Imagery Brain Diseases Cardiovascular Diseases Central Nervous System Diseases Cerebrovascular Disorders Nervous System Diseases Stroke Vascular Diseases

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Palacky University, Olomouc, Czechia

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About this study

Gait imagery is a cognitive process involving the mental simulation of a gait that is not actually performed. According to current studies, gait imagery has very similar neural activity to that observed in real gait. This activity can be observed not only at the central level, but also at the end effector - the muscle - using surface electromyography. Across studies, muscle activity and kinematics are evaluated in particular when imagining analytical movements of the upper or lower limbs, but complex and posturally more demanding movements (in our case, gait and its modification - gait on a line) are studied to a lesser extent. Independent walking and the ability to adapt it to the terrain is important in rehabilitation therapy for patients with limited mobility. These individuals include, among others, a stroke survivors. The aim of the study is therefore to evaluate the effect of normal gait imagery and gait on a line imagery on lower limb muscle activity and lower body kinematics in these individuals.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Subacute stage (1 week - 2 months after the onset of the attack) after primary attack of stroke
  • Ischemic origin of stroke
  • Good cognitive level to understand the study
  • Minimum age of 18 years
  • Clinically manifested hemiparetic gait with ability to perform independent walking for at least five minutes
  • Mild motor deficit with ability to maintain standing without any support
  • Ability to walk independently without any manual assistance of another person (≥ 3/5 points according to the Functional Ambulation Categories)
  • Good level (≥ 4/7 points) of kinesthetic and visual MI according to the Czech version of the MIQ-RS questionnaire

Exclusion criteria

  • Present impairments in communication and cognition
  • An additional neurological, internal, psychological or psychiatric disorder or severe musculoskeletal disorder that may affect the ambulation
  • Previous experience with MI
  • Pain during the measurement

Treatment and study plan

gait imagery

Behavioral

The initial position, which is identical for all measured tasks, consisted of an upright bipedal stance in front of an unobtrusive white screen with feet at pelvic width, upper limbs held loosely along the body, eyes open and facing forward. During the rest task, non-motor imagery task, participants are instructed to sing the song "Happy Birthday" in their minds.

NGI before the real execution of normal gait and GLI before the real execution of gait on the line are tasks associated with the imagery of normal gait or tandem gait on the line. Participants first observed a 5 m section of the corridor for NGI, or a line located in the middle of the same corridor for GLI.

The last tasks, NGI after the real execution of normal gait and GLI after the real execution of gait on the line, differed from above mentioned tasks in the immediate real experience of normal gait or gait on the line.

Primary outcomes

  1. Objective measurement of muscle activity

    Time frame: Day 1

    Muscle activity [V] will be measured by surface electromyography during all tasks (rest and gait imagery before/after real gait execution) across both gait imagery modalities (normal gait imagery and gait on the line imagery).

  2. Objective measurement of lower body kinematics 1

    Time frame: Day 1

    Lower body kinematics will be measured by gyroscope [deg/s] during all tasks (rest and gait imagery before/after real gait execution) across both gait imagery modalities (normal gait imagery and gait on the line imagery).

  3. Objective measurement of lower body kinematics 2

    Time frame: Day 1

    Lower body kinematics will also be measured by accelerometer [g] during all tasks (rest and gait imagery before/after real gait execution) across both gait imagery modalities (normal gait imagery and gait on the line imagery).

Secondary outcomes

  1. Questionnaire - Evaluation of gait imagery

    Time frame: Day 1

    Individuals will be asked about ease/difficulty of imagining both normaI gait imagery/gait on the line imagery before and after the real execution of gait tasks using a five-point scale (maximum value - 5 points [easy] to minimum value - 1 point [difficult]).

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Hana Haltmar

Other

Registry information

Official study title

The Effect of Gait Imagery on the Muscular Activity of Lower Limbs and Lower Body Kinematics in Subacute Stroke Survivors

Important dates

Study start
2021
Primary completion
2022
Study completion
2022
First posted
Jan 16, 2026
Registry last updated
Jan 21, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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