Honors Theses
Date of Award
Spring 5-9-2026
Document Type
Undergraduate Thesis
Department
Biomedical Engineering
First Advisor
Thomas Werfel
Second Advisor
Glenn Walker
Relational Format
Thesis
Abstract
Parkinson’s disease is a progressive neurological disorder that commonly causes a shortened stride length, reducing mobility and increasing fall risk. While current treatments, such as oral medication, can reduce symptoms, they do not provide real-time feedback to correct gait and often result in “off” periods when symptoms return. Physical therapists report that simple reminders to lengthen stride can help patients recover from “off” periods and maintain normal walking patterns, but there is no current at-home way to simulate this effective therapy. Recognizing this gap in at-home support, our biomedical engineering senior design team at the University of Mississippi sought to develop a solution that could assist patients outside of supervised therapy sessions. The needs statement, the main focus of our project, is to find a way to increase mobility in patients with Parkinson’s disease to improve daily activities. Our mission is to develop a wearable gait-monitoring device that detects shortened stride length using ankle sensors and provides sensory cues via a wrist-worn vibration module, prompting patients to lengthen their gait.
Recommended Citation
Stevens, Heath M.; Lobotzke, Capri H.; and George, Spencer J., "Designing a Wearable Gait Feedback System for Parkinson’s Disease Patients" (2026). Honors Theses. 3437.
https://egrove.olemiss.edu/hon_thesis/3437
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