A team of researchers are in the process of developing smart garment technologies that would prevent falls in people with Parkinson’s disease.
Falls, which are frequently caused by gait impairments and postural instability, are common and often devastating in the lives of people with Parkinson’s, a neurodegenerative disease.
The researchers from Neuroscience Research Australia (NeuRA) and University of New South Wales (UNSW) are set to make StandingTall-PD — a neuro-rehabilitation programme — that aims to prevent freezing-of-gait and falls, and enhance patients’ independence.
The programme uses visual, audio and haptic sensory cues to help rewire the parts of the brain that control walking and preventing falls in people with Parkinson’s disease.
The combination of visual, audio and sensory elements helps to form new connections in less affected parts of the brain, leading to improved walking ability, the researchers said.