Studies
| Study Title: | Perceptual Comfort in Textured Foot Orthotics |
| Rationale: | The purpose of this study is to assess your perceptual comfort and stability in different textured foot orthotics when completing a series of everyday functional tasks (examples: during level walking, walking up and down a flight of stairs...etc.). |
| Study Description: |
Approximately 100 participants will be recruited for this experimental study. All participants must be must be able to walk for approximately 2 minutes and climb up and down the equivalent of 2 flights of stairs. Participation includes one testing session, estimated to last approximately 2 hours. After reading and signing this informed consent, you will be asked to complete a questionnaire electronically prior to beginning the session. This questionnaire will be administered through Qualtrics software and can be completed on a computer or your personal phone. The session will begin with monofilament testing. This measurement tool places small filaments on the skin of your foot sole to assess skin sensitivity. You will then be fitted to a pair of running shoes and provided a clean pair of socks. In these shoes, you will be asked to complete 5 different tasks: • 1. Sitting for 1 minute with feet shoulder width apart, • 2. Walking at a preferred walking velocity, • 3. Standing still for 5 minutes, • 4. Standing on your non-dominant leg for 30 seconds*, and • 5. Walking twice, up and down a flight of stairs. *If preferred, you may hold on to something while completing this task (example: wall, chair, another person). Please Note: The order of these tasks will vary across participants. On a scale of 0-10, you will be asked to rate your perceptual comfort after completing each task. A series of questions will also follow each block of five tasks. Once you have finished all 5 tasks in the running shoes, these five tasks and questions will be repeated in 3 different types of textured foot orthoses. You will have a 10 minute break between blocks. |
| Recruitment Dates: | 2023-11-07 to 2024-05-01 |
| Who can participate: | individuals aged 18+yrs |
| Trial Institution: | Wilfrid Laurier University |
| Trial Investigator: | Dr. Kelly Robb |
| Contact Information: | krobb@wlu.ca |
| Trial Funding: | Mitacs Accelerate |