Asymmetries in the reactive control of angular momentum during post-stroke gait

The ability to use reactive stabilization strategies to recover from a slip or a trip is vital for preventing falls. Physiological impairments after stroke, such as weakness and delayed sensorimotor processing may reduce the effectiveness of rapid stepping responses to restore balance following unexpected perturbations. Here, we used treadmill accelerations to test the hypothesis that people post-stroke exhibit asymmetries in the reactive control of angular momentum in response to perturbations during walking. Our preliminary results indicate that perturbations of the non-paretic limb produce larger increases in angular momentum than perturbations of the paretic limb, and this may reflect an inability of the paretic leg to produce appropriate corrective responses.