Exoskeleton improves walking for people with Parkinson’s disease

Researchers at Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences developed a soft exoskeleton to help a person with Parkinson’s walk without freezing. Freezing of gait (FOG) is a common, yet poorly understood, symptom of Parkinson's disease. It causes sudden and involuntary episodes of immobility that can occur during walking, often leading to falls and injuries. Traditional treatments for FOG, such as medication adjustments and physical therapy, have had limited success.

The researchers spent six months working with a 73-year- old man with Parkinson’s disease who, despite using both surgical and pharmacologic treatments, endured substantial and incapacitating FOG episodes more than 10 times a day. These episodes prevented him from walking around his community and forced him to rely on a scooter to get around outside.

The exoskeleton uses cable-driven actuators and sensors worn around the waist and thighs. Using motion data collected by the sensors, algorithms estimate the phase of the gait and generate assistive forces in tandem with muscle movement.

Without any special training, the patient was instantly able to walk without any freezing indoors and with only occasional episodes outdoors. He was also able to walk and talk without freezing, a rarity without the device.

Harvard collaborated on this project with Boston University. “This work suggests the potential benefits of a ‘bottom-up’ rather than ‘top-down’ solution to treating gait freezing," said the researchers. "We see that restoring almost-normal biomechanics alters the peripheral dynamics of gait and may influence the central processing of gait control.”

The research demonstrates the potential of exoskeletons to treat FOG and offers hope to those with Parkinson’s disease. It could help them regain their mobility and independence.

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