Publications

KM Steele, A Rozumalski, MH Schwartz (2015) “Muscle synergies and complexity of neuromuscular control during gait in cerebral palsy.” Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology

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WalkDMC decreased with GMFCS level among individuals with cerebral palsy.

Journal article accepted in Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology:

Kat Steele partnered with Mike Schwartz and Adam Rozumalski of Gillette Children’s Specialty Healthcare to complete one of the largest studies to date of individuals with cerebral palsy. They quantified how neuromuscular control is altered among individuals with cerebral palsy and how this altered control can contribute to impaired function.

WalkDMC decreased with GMFCS level among individuals with cerebral palsy.

Abstract: Individuals with cerebral palsy (CP) have impaired movement due to a brain injury near birth. Understanding how neuromuscular control is altered in CP can provide insight into pathological movement. We sought to determine if individuals with CP demonstrate reduced complexity of neuromuscular control during gait compared with unimpaired individuals and if changes in control are related to functional ability. Muscle synergies during gait were retrospectively analyzed for 633 individuals (age range 3.9–70y): 549 with CP (hemiplegia, n=122; diplegia, n=266; triplegia, n=73; quadriplegia, n=88) and 84 unimpaired individuals. Synergies were calculated using non-negative matrix factorization from surface electromyography collected during previous clinical gait analyses. Synergy complexity during gait was compared with diagnosis subtype, functional ability, and clinical examination measures. Fewer synergies were required to describe muscle activity during gait in individuals with CP compared with unimpaired individuals. Changes in synergies were related to functional impairment and clinical examination measures including selective motor control, strength, and spasticity. Interpretation: Individuals with CP use a simplified control strategy during gait compared with unimpaired individuals. These results were similar to synergies during walking among adult stroke survivors, suggesting similar neuromuscular control strategies between these clinical populations. PDF

Also, make sure you look at the commentary from Diane Damiano. She provides perspective about the utility of synergies for evaluating neuromuscular control in children with cerebral palsy and future challenges.

KM Steele, A Rozumalski, MH Schwartz, “Altered muscle synergies during gait in cerebral palsy are not due to altered kinematics or kinetics.” International Society of Biomechanics (Glasgow, UK) July 15, 2015.

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International Society of Biomechanics LogoKat Steele presented our recent work on altered synergies during gait in cerebral palsy and the impact of altered gait patterns at the International Society of Biomechanics conference on July 15, 2015 in Glasgow, Ireland.

MH Schwartz, A Rozumalski, KM Steele, “Dynamic motor control during walking predicts treatment outcomes in cerebral palsy.” International Society of Biomechanics (Glasgow, UK) July 13, 2015.

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International Society of Biomechanics LogoKat Steele & Mike Schwartz presented their research demonstrating that synergies measured from EMG are predictive of post-operative outcomes after botulinum toxin injections, selective dorsal rhizotomy, and multi-level orthopaedic surgery. These results will support future research to determine if synergies can be used clinically to quantify patient-specific changes in control and guide treatment planning.

International Society of Biomechanics conference on July 13, 2015 in Glasgow, Ireland.

KM Steele and MH Schwartz, “Do muscle synergies reflect optimal control during gait in unimpaired individuals and individuals with cerebral palsy?” International Symposium on Computer Simulation in Biomechanics (Edinburgh, UK) July 11, 2015.

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Kat Steele presented at the International Society of Biomechanics Technical Group on Computer Simulation in Edinburgh, Scotland on July 11, 2015. This study quantifies how traditional methods for estimating muscle activity in musculoskeletal simulation (e.g., minimizing sum of squared muscle activations) fails to accurately predict muscle activity for individuals with cerebral palsy. This research will help to guide the development of new methods to quantify patient-specific changes in neuromuscular control.

B Blaser, S Burgstahler, KM Steele, (2015) “Including universal design in engineering courses to attract diverse students.” Proceedings of the American Society for Engineering Education

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ASEE 2015 logo

Paper at American Society of Engineering Education

Brianna Blaser and Kat Steele presented their paper, “Including universal design in engineering courses to attract diverse students” at the American Society for Engineering Education annual conference in Seattle, WA on June 17, 2015. This paper reported the results of a survey to current students with disabilities about their experiences in engineering classes and how accessibility and universal design may be incorporated into the engineering curriculum.

Abstract:

Research has shown that members of some groups, including women and people with disabilities, are particularly interested in how their fields of study, such as engineering, can improve the world around them. Teaching students about universal design (UD) and how it benefits individuals with disabilities has the potential to attract these students to engineering and encourage them to create products and environments that are accessible to and usable by individuals with a broad range of characteristics. In this paper, we present findings from an online discussion and site visits to engineering labs with students with disabilities. Based on these findings, we identify opportunities for including disability and UD topics in engineering curricula. Capstone or cornerstone engineering design classes are a natural fit for incorporating these concepts, but other engineering course can be enhanced with disability and UD content as well. We also present suggestions for applying UD to instruction in order to ensure that engineering courses are accessible to the widest audience possible. This investigation provides a foundation for using UD to broaden participation in engineering and training engineers who can design products and environments that address the diverse needs of society.

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