Parkinson’s Patients Aided by Laser Walkers
- 10 years ago
Recently, researchers at the Mayo Clinic in Florida have added lasers to canes and walkers to help Parkinson’s patients have an easier time of walking.
Patients suffering from Parkinson’s disease often develop difficulties walking as their gait becomes shorter and their movements stiffen.
Decades ago, scientists observed that when presented with certain visual cues, patients began to take longer, more natural strides.
Recently, researchers at the Mayo Clinic in Florida have added a modern twist to that discovery and began outfitting walkers and canes with lasers.
The lasers project lines along the walker’s path, providing a visual assist that was found to be beneficial.
When Parkinson’s takes hold, it can attack and degrade the primary line of communication between the brain and the leg muscles.
The visual aid and the walker are based on the thinking that if a patient concentrates on something else, like a projected line, then the brain will go on auto-pilot and find a different path along which to transmit signals.
So far, there have been some big successes.
In one case, a man who had been confined to a wheelchair is now able to walk with the help of the device.
Not all trials have, however, been as successful.
Researchers continue to fine-tune the technology in hopes it can help even more people.
Patients suffering from Parkinson’s disease often develop difficulties walking as their gait becomes shorter and their movements stiffen.
Decades ago, scientists observed that when presented with certain visual cues, patients began to take longer, more natural strides.
Recently, researchers at the Mayo Clinic in Florida have added a modern twist to that discovery and began outfitting walkers and canes with lasers.
The lasers project lines along the walker’s path, providing a visual assist that was found to be beneficial.
When Parkinson’s takes hold, it can attack and degrade the primary line of communication between the brain and the leg muscles.
The visual aid and the walker are based on the thinking that if a patient concentrates on something else, like a projected line, then the brain will go on auto-pilot and find a different path along which to transmit signals.
So far, there have been some big successes.
In one case, a man who had been confined to a wheelchair is now able to walk with the help of the device.
Not all trials have, however, been as successful.
Researchers continue to fine-tune the technology in hopes it can help even more people.