Proprioceptive improvements of lower-limb amputees under training with a vibrotactile device — A pilot study

Abstract

Limited mobility severely impacts the quality of life of persons with lower-limb amputations. Therefore, it is imperative to develop proper rehabilitation techniques to prevent falls and injuries. A vibrotactile device was developed as a training tool to enhance the rehabilitation of persons with recent lower-limb amputations. Stimuli provided by the device trains the user to sense discrete perturbations and then perform a corrective movement to reduce the chance of a fall. This pilot study was conducted to test the functionality of the device in improving the prosthetic proprioception of lower-limb amputees and the effect of the training instruction on motor learning. Two subjects were included in this study, one control and one receiving experimental training, with both subjects performing standing and walking tasks. Standing trials were used to evaluate the improvements in response and movement times and walking trials were tested for improvements in correct movement. In the standing task, the control and the experimental subject showed a 0.1% and 17% improvement in response time, respectively. In the walking task, both subjects showed improvements in making correct movement. Future work will focus on the design improvements of the device and the experiment protocols to further evaluate the effectiveness of the training.