"Gait velocity and stride length were improved in PD patients after training with a visual-and-auditory virtual cueing system, with a marked residual effect. Devices utilizing closed-loop visual feedback system are desirable non-pharmacologic interventions to improve walking in PD."
Alberto J. Espay, MD, The Neuroscience Institute, Department of Neurology, Movement Disorders Center, University of Cincinnati
We think it is fantastic. From the moment my Dad put it on he stopped freezing.
"I ordered the gaitaid for my father. He now calls it his magic box. As soon as he put it on he was able to walk through doorways without freezing. He wore just the audio to play golf and won the round. Is it the sound and video together that might retrain his brain?
I am sold on it. We have been telling everyone about it. Dad took it to his last doctor's appointment to show it off.
We think it is fantastic. From the moment my Dad put it on he stopped freezing. We took a walk on Thanksgiving with the device on and my Dad actually skipped. I hope you will get my message on the forum also.
Thank you for your support and for the GaitAid."
Debra Snook,
Clarkston, WA
I wish you had been there. You would have rejoiced!
"Dear Amir and Audrey,
Today I took the goggles to the Brooklyn Parkinson Group.
The most amazing results were achieved by those who had the worst gait!!!
One man who besides having Parkinson had had a stroke recently and his limbs
were all over the place. After five minutes of practice he was having total
control of his legs and arms. At the end I asked him to test his residual
memory. He walked as well as if he had the googles and walked back into the
room proud and tall!
Another person had very bad stability. He walked crossing his right foot in
front of his left one constantly. I called this fact to his attention and
asked to keep each foot on each side of the tiles. That solved the problem
and he began to walk better and better until he got the right rhythm,
started swinging his arms, had long steps, sometimes slow, sometimes fast,
all of them of even length. Residual memory was also fantastic.
I wish you had been there. You would have rejoiced!"
Now there's a new, non-invasive, high-tech treatment that actually helps rewire your brain bypassing disease-damaged areas. It gives Parkinson’s disease patients the ability to walk normally again.
A new high-tech virtual reality device recently developed by MIT-educated Computer Science Professor Yoram Baram PhD. has already given Parkinson’s disease patients better balance and the ability to walk normally again.
It’s easy to use at home, doesn’t require any special training or supervision, and doesn’t interfere with any other treatments you may already be involved in.
You control when, where, and how long you use this device, not your physical therapist or doctor. This gives you much more control over your day improving your quality of life at the same time.
As little as 20 minutes a day rewires the walking circuits in your brain
Your brain rewires itself through a natural process known as neuroplasticity.
In the last 30 years, great strides have been made in our ability to understand how the human brain works and its ability to repair itself.
It’s now a proven fact that your brain can and does repair itself if given the right type of input.
Good nutrition certainly plays an important role. But more importantly, some physical activity jump-starts the rewiring process. That’s why your doctor may have prescribed physical therapy as part of your treatment regimen. In your case it may simply mean going for a 20-minute walk.
Introducing the GaitAid Virtual Walker
Simply wear the device and go for a walk in a safe area. By using the visual cues and audio feedback delivered by the device, your brain begins creating new healthy neural circuits that bypass disease-damaged areas.
In as little as two weeks, your brain can begin the bypass process. In some cases patients have begun showing improvement during the first session.
An excited phone message from Carol Stringer who just received the GaitAid and had her husband, George try it (Click the Play button below to hear the message) :
"I'm just so excited! The gait training gadget is working for George. The minute he put it on he walked down the hall without me helping him start up. So you can imagine how excited we are!"
“As soon as my Dad put [the GaitAid] on, he was able to walk through doorways without freezing.”, Debra Snook, Clarkston, WA
Now he no longer has problems with walking and walks like a healthy person. He doesn't need to use the device any more.
"My father is 68 years old. He has been suffering from Parkinson disorder for 10 years. He has been using Audio-Visual Walker device (GaitAid) almost a year. From the first time he used the device I could see huge mprovement. The most important thing was that from the freezing state he often suffered, he could walk again free. Now he no longer has problems with walking and walks like a healthy person. He doesn't need to use the device any more.", Itay Kavaler, Israel, son of a Parkinson's disease patient
" I have witnessed a miracle! There are no words right now to express my gratitude for what I have witnessed tonight.
The glasses for my sister arrived late this afternoon. It didn't take very long to figiure out how to put them on and have her start walking. My caretaker and I stood beside her as she took the first few steps. Within minutes our mouths dropped open in amazement. I have not seen my sister take a normal step with out shuffling in years! I started to Cry with joy!!!
This is such an AMAZING breakthrough I am awed!!!"
Susan Williams, Craryville, NY
How virtual reality helps people to walk better
The Virtual Walker helps in two ways.
One, it displays a virtual floor of black and white tiles on a set of glasses your wear. The virtual floor responds to your own motion. The images float in front of you and you can see where you are going at the same time.
Two, it generates audio feedback based on your steps. The Virtual Walker does this in a way not used in the past. By combining a motion detector input from inside the device and sophisticated programming, your own walking motion generates audio tones that you hear on the built-in headphones. These tones stimulate you to alter your walking motion in a subtle way. As you get used to the device, you naturally want to make the audio cues more rhythmic. This is a natural response to the device.
Scientists call this type of motion aid “closed loop”, as the feedback signal is generated by your own motion. By combining these two types of cues with closed loop feedback, you train your own brain to help you walk better.
Clinical studies have found that visual and auditory feedback cues reduce and even eliminate “freezing” during walking. In 1999, Neural Processing Letters published a paper titled “Walking on Tiles” providing a scientific explanation of how the brain may respond to the stimuli generated by the tiles. In 2002, they published another paper “Walking on Virtual Tiles” reporting clinical findings that virtual tiles significantly improved the stability, walking speed and stride length of Parkinson’s patients. Later papers reported similar effects by auditory feedback cues.
PD patients show significant improvement
While not all patients show the same percentage improvement, the patients with the most impairment also showed the most improvement. On average their speed improved by 26% and stride length by 31%.
Both open-loop and closed-loop systems were tested. While the older open-loop system did help, some patients experienced acute dizziness and even freezing of gait while using the device. The new closed-loop GaitAid Virtual Walker works significantly better and doesn’t cause dizziness or freezing of gait.
Alberto J. Espay, MD, of The Neuroscience Institute, Movement Disorders Center, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA performed a study with PD patients using the GaitAid device. This study showed 70% of the patients improving by at least 20% in either walking velocity, stride length, or both. These improvements lasted even after the study ended. Better yet, the early indications show the device to be as effective as medication and surgery without the associated potential risks.
Freezing at a Threshold and Loss of Balance
An example is shown in the video below. As you’ll see, a Parkinson's patient freezes before entering and exiting an elevator and then, wearing the GaitAid device for the first time, repeats the movements with no hesitation,. (Please note that he is using an earlier version of the device, which was more bulky.)
The GaitAid helps even with severe Balance Problems
The following video shows a person with Parkinson's with a severe balance disorder. Notice, as he walks with the GaitAid for the first time (this is an even older, bulkier version) how his nurse is much more relaxed walking a few steps behind him.
As a result of the various clinical studies, a new device was born.
Developed by MIT-educated Computer Science Professor Yoram Baram
The Newest Version of a Closed-loop Feedback Device is Now Available.
.
The GaitAid Virtual Walker:
Creates audio/visual feedback for improving patient ability to walk better and more safely, eliminating freezing, shuffling and loss of balance.
Typical 20-minute practice sessions don’t need to be strenuous...becoming fun for many patients which they look forward to.
Practice has a residual effect building up over the period of a few weeks helping the patient to walk better between sessions. Some patients find they no longer need the device expect for an occasional session to maintain their improved walking ability.
A Few Tips...
The GaitAid is not designed to fit over regular eyeglasses. The GaitAid can fit over very small frames but were not designed for this. In clinical studies, people using eye glasses were able to take off their eye glasses and walk with the device along a predetermined path without problems. If you cannot walk safely without your eyeglasses in a predetermined path, the GaitAid will not be appropriate for you, unless you use specifically designed optical correction. We will have a solution for this in the future so please contact us if you are interested so we can let you know when it's ready.
Remember that this is a training device not to be worn all the time. Just twenty minutes of practice per day are needed and the improvement lasts on. We have added the option of using the GaitAid with audio feedback only, so you can practice with headphones and without the goggles.
We have put considerable effort into making the GaitAid as simple as possible. There is only one knob to turn the device on and control the volume. Apart from that all you need to do is put the device on and go for a walk. Yet, some people are not comfortable with using technology for the first time, or even for the first few training sessions. If this is the case for you do not be quick to give up - it does not take long to get used to.
Immediate improvement does not come for everyone. It is not unusual for a person with Parkinson's disease not to notice the change at first, while people around notice it much sooner. People are so different and so is the training experience. Some patients report that they only begin to notice a small difference after a few weeks while their loved ones report they are walking almost normally at this point. On average, most people do notice a significant improvement within two weeks. For others it can take longer.
The GaitAid is a real breakthrough in the treatment of gait impairment. Tested concepts like walking on tiles and closed-loop audio feedback have been combined into a small portable high-tech device. It’s easy to use and it works.
Ultimately though, it’s not about the technology. It’s about improving your quality of life.
As your ability to walk improves it makes your life so much more enjoyable.
The GaitAid Virtual Walker Warranty
The GaitAid Virtual Walker is guaranteed to be free of manufacturing defects for one year. If you have any problem with it, you may call us at
888-777-9906
to get it resolved. If we can’t resolve it over the phone, we will promptly replace either the entire device or individual pieces at no charge.
Your Purchase Carries a 30-Day Unconditional Money Back Guarantee!
Your GaitAid Virtual Walker Is Also Easy to Buy:
You can try the GaitAid Virtual Walker for 30 days. If you decide to return the device for any reason within the first 30 days after you receive it, we will refund your payment excluding a $40 restocking fee.
