Individual Differences in Locomotor Function Predict the Capacity to Reduce Asymmetry and Modify the Energetic Cost of Walking Poststroke

Changes in the control of the lower extremities poststroke lead to persistent biomechanical asymmetries during walking. These asymmetries are associated with an increase in energetic cost, leading to the possibility that reducing asymmetry can improve walking economy. However, the influence of asymmetry on economy may depend on the direction and cause of asymmetry. For example, impairments with paretic limb advancement may result in shorter paretic steps, whereas deficits in paretic support or propulsion result in shorter nonparetic steps. Given differences in the underlying impairments responsible for step length asymmetry, the capacity to reduce asymmetry and the associated changes in energetic cost may not be consistent across this population. Here, we identified factors explaining individual differences in the capacity to voluntarily reduce step length asymmetry and modify energetic cost during walking. A total of 24 individuals poststroke walked on a treadmill, with visual feedback of their step lengths to aid explicit modification of asymmetry. We found that individuals who took longer paretic steps had a greater capacity to reduce asymmetry and were better able to transfer the effects of practice to overground walking than individuals who took shorter paretic steps. In addition, changes in metabolic cost depended on the direction of asymmetry, baseline cost of transport, and reductions in specific features of spatiotemporal asymmetry. These results demonstrate that many stroke survivors retain the residual capacity to voluntarily walk more symmetrically on a treadmill and overground. However, whether reductions in asymmetry reduce metabolic cost depends on individual differences in impairments affecting locomotor function.