This exploratory study was designed to investigate the applications of rhythmic auditory stimuli as a superimposed structure in facilitating proprioceptive control of rhythmic gait. Twenty-five subjects of varying ages and gait disorders listened to individually determined music and rhythmic percussive sounds and attempted to match their footsteps to the stimuli. As rhythmic control increased, stimulus conditions were gradually faded for internalization and independence of the motor pattern. / Results indicated that all subjects evidenced gains in rhythmic, even walking, and/or consistency in walking speed. Dependent measures included cumulative timed deviations between footfalls in hundredths of a second and cadence inconsistencies counted in consecutive ten-second intervals. / Improvement was also determined by college observers who watched and rated randomly arranged videotaped segments of baseline and treatment conditions. Overall, and on specific components of gait, observers significantly differentiated between baseline and treatment conditions. Treatment with music/pulse and fading of music/pulse yielded significant nondifferentiation in ratings, indicating the observable strength and effectiveness of the fading procedures. Proprioceptive control of rhythmic walking was best facilitated in hemiparetic stroke patients, spastic disorders, and in painful arthritic or scoliotic conditions. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 42-06, Section: A, page: 2553. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1981.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_74483 |
| Contributors | STAUM, MYRA J., Florida State University |
| Source Sets | Florida State University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text |
| Format | 149 p. |
| Rights | On campus use only. |
| Relation | Dissertation Abstracts International |
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