Audible feedback study showed gait improvement in MS

Scientists in Israel working on feedback systems to improve gait in people with MS recently conducted a trial of a device (PDF) that provides auditory cues to a person while walking. The device is about the size of a cell phone or MP3 player and is connected to headphones that the walker wears. It produces a click each time the walker takes a step, which motivates the walker to keep up a steady gait in order to maintain a pleasingly rhythmic sound.

The trial, which included 14 people with MS and 11 controls, measured walking speed and stride length over four 10-meter lengths before using the device (baseline), while using the device, and again without the device after a rest period. The MS subjects achieved close to a 20% improvement in walking speed and 10% improvement in stride length after this short exercise (controls showed no improvement). The authors had previously found visual feedback to also be beneficial in walking, and suggest that a therapy combining multiple senses may be worth evaluating for MS and other conditions affecting movement.