6533b82cfe1ef96bd128ea21

RESEARCH PRODUCT

Experimental validation of the prosthetic leg

subject

description

Abstract Studies of populations whose ability to perform voluntary movements is impaired due to natural reasons (e.g. aging), genetic anomaly (e.g. Down syndrome), trauma (e.g. spinal cord injury, amputation) or illness (e.g. Parkinson’s disease) frequently result in a basic question: are the observed motor patterns, which may be rather different from those seen in the general population, actually abnormal? In other words, should they be corrected? This question is important, not only for understanding the mechanisms of control over normal and disordered movements, but also for assessing the effectiveness of existing therapeutic approaches and providing focus for developing new therapies and prosthetic devices. A common misconception is that any major deviation from the motor patterns seen in the general population is bad. This misconception is revealed in the way research findings are presented and interpreted and in the prescriptions given to correct the apparently wrong motor patterns.