# DEVELOPMENT OF A GAIT PATHOLOGY EXPERT SYSTEM

> **NIH NIH R01** · RANCHO LOS AMIGOS MEDICAL CENTER · 1989 · $187,161

## Abstract

The goal of this project is to develop a knowledge-based (expert)
system which identifies the cause of a patient's gait dysfunction
from an analysis of basic gait data.  The intent is to assist the
clinician by providing the primary and secondary diagnosis, with
an explanation of the underlying reasoning process.  Specifically
this involves:  1) design and development of an automated Data
Analysis Expert System (DA/ES), or preprocessor, which will analyze
and evaluate the raw data obtained from instruments and yield
judgments relating the specific data set to the parameters of
normal walking; 2) design and evaluation of a Gait Pathology Expert
System (GP/ES), which uses the outputs from the DA/ES and a gait
analysis knowledge base to identify the muscular dysfunction
responsible for the observed deviations from normal gait; and 3)
making preliminary plans for the establishment of a National
Resource Center to disseminate the results of this project.

Difficulties in walking experienced by cerebral palsy, head trauma,
and stroke related to abnormal muscle control.  Surgery can
significantly improve function if the abnormal muscle activity can
be isolated from normal performance.  Clinical testing is woefully
imprecise; comprehensive gait analysis is a critical factor in
making an appropriate surgical plan.  Problems in interpreting the
data have limited the number of clinical gait laboratories, in
spite of the enormous clinical need (in CP alone, the existing
population approximates 240,000, with about 6,000 new patients each
year).

The ultimate goal of developing a National Resource Center to
disseminate the results of this project will greatly expand the
number of clinical facilities able to provide automated gait
interpretation.  The strong clinical focus of this effort will be
based upon the knowledge of, and verified by, well-known experts
in gait analysis.  Gait analysis knowledge is uniquely suited for
organization into a "frame"-based expert system.  The team
assembled for this development is well-qualified for work in this
area of artificial intelligence.  The proposed knowledge-based
system is unique because it 1) has a strong clinical basis, 2)
automatically interprets the four most significant types of data
(foot-switch, EMG, Motion, and Force) to yield the most probable
diagnosis of the patient's gait dysfunction, and 3) provides a
thorough explanation of its reasoning process.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 3158737
- **Project number:** 5R01AR038713-02
- **Recipient organization:** RANCHO LOS AMIGOS MEDICAL CENTER
- **Principal Investigator:** JACQUELIN PERRY
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 1989
- **Award amount:** $187,161
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 1988-03-01 → 1991-02-28

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/3158737

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 3158737, DEVELOPMENT OF A GAIT PATHOLOGY EXPERT SYSTEM (5R01AR038713-02). Retrieved via MORVS 2026-10-25 from https://api.morvs.ai/grant/nih/3158737. Licensed CC0.

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