Research Questions:
Question #1 - Is there a difference in EMG within postural muscles (tibialis anterior and gastrocsoleus) and between healthy and MS when not wearing weighted vest with eyes open? Question #2 - Is there a difference in EMG within postural muscles (tibialis anterior and gastrocsoleus) and between healthy and MS when not wearing weighted vest with eyes closed? Question #3 - Is there a difference in EMG within postural muscles (tibialis anterior and gastrocsoleus) and between healthy and MS when wearing weighted vest eyes open? Question #4 - Is there a difference in EMG within postural muscles (tibialis anterior and gastrocsoleus) and between healthy and MS when wearing weighted vest eyes closed? Question #5 - Is there a difference in SWAY within postural muscles (tibialis anterior and gastrocsoleus) and between healthy and MS when not wearing weighted vest with eyes open? Question #6 - Is there a difference in SWAY within postural muscles (tibialis anterior and gastrocsoleus) and between healthy and MS when not wearing weighted vest with eyes closed? Question #7 - Is there a difference in SWAY within postural muscles (tibialis anterior and gastrocsoleus) and between healthy and MS when wearing weighted vest eyes open? Question #8 - Is there a difference in SWAY within postural muscles (tibialis anterior and gastrocsoleus) and between healthy and MS when wearing weighted vest eyes closed? Research Design: Quasi-experimental design
Age
18–75
Sex
ALL
Healthy volunteers
Accepted
You may be eligible if
self-reported diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS)
age 18 to 75 years old
able to communicate in English
able to provide informed consent
able to tolerate up to three hours of testing with rest breaks
able to walk 20 meters with or without assistive device and without resting (equivalent to Expanded Disability Status Scale of 6.5 or less).
able to communicate in English
able to provide informed consent
physical criteria that matched each participant with MS which included age (within 7 years), height (within 12.7 cm \[5 in\]), mass (within 9.1 kg \[20 lb\]) and sex.
You may not be if
exacerbation of MS within the past two months
had a diagnosis of a concurrent neurological disorder (head injury, stroke, Parkinson's disease, etc.)
reported pain that could be exacerbated by external perturbations during standing.
