The Spectral and Statistical Analysis of Gait Dynamics in ALS Disease

Abstract

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) disease, also known as motor neuron disease, is a disease resulting from loss of motor nerve cells in the spinal cord and brain stem region at central nervous system. Researchers can’t find the reason of ALS for certain, however there are a wide variety of risk factors in respect of this disease. This disease has more than one risk factor. Researchers believe that it is resulted from a virus which leads to abnormality in immune system, spoils the structure of DNA and functioning of enzyme system, exhibiting neurotoxic properties. The signals coming to a single arm or leg muscle from upper and lower motor neurons are highly determinative in diagnosis of the disease, although there is not a specific test for diagnosing the ALS disease for certain. Doctors still conduct many tests even though the main symptoms of ALS are the signals coming to muscles. The developments related to gait analysis are used an auxiliary factor in diagnosis and analysis of ALS diseases. In this study, gait signals from control individuals and ALS diseases have been recorded by means of sensors sensitive to the strength under the foot. These signals’ time-amplitude, amplitude spectrum, phase spectrum, average value and variance changes have been analysed. As a result of these inspections, differences of ALS signals from control signals have been identified.