Self-reported gait unsteadiness in mildly impaired neurological patients: an objective assessment through statistical gait analysis

Background Self-reported gait unsteadiness is often a problem in neurological patients without any clinical evidence of ataxia, because it leads to reduced activity and limitations in function. However, in the literature there are only a few papers that address this disorder. The aim of this study is to identify objectively subclinical abnormal gait strategies in these patients. Methods Eleven patients affected by self-reported unsteadiness during gait (4 TBI and 7 MS) and ten healthy subjects underwent gait analysis while walking back and forth on a 15-m long corridor. Time-distance parameters, ankle sagittal motion, and muscular activity during gait were acquired by a wearable gait analysis system (Step32, DemItalia, Italy) on a high number of successive strides in the same walk and statistically processed. Both self-selected gait speed and high speed were tested under relatively unconstrained conditions. Non-parametric statistical analysis (Mann-Whitney, Wilcoxon tests) was carried out on the means of the data of the two examined groups. Results The main findings, with data adjusted for velocity of progression, show that increased double support and reduced velocity of progression are the main parameters to discriminate patients with self-reported unsteadiness from healthy controls. Muscular intervals of activation showed a significant increase in the activity duration of the Rectus Femoris and Tibialis Anterior in patients with respect to the control group at high speed. Conclusions Patients with a subjective sensation of instability, not clinically documented, walk with altered strategies, especially at high gait speed. This is thought to depend on the mechanisms of postural control and coordination. The gait anomalies detected might explain the symptoms reported by the patients and allow for a more focused treatment design. The wearable gait analysis system used for long distance statistical walking assessment was able to detect subtle differences in functional performance monitoring, otherwise not detectable by common clinical examination

Semilinear evolution equations in abstract spaces and applications

The existence of mild solutions is obtained, for a semilinear multivalued equation in a reflexive Banach space. Weakly compact valued nonlinear terms are considered, combined with strongly continuous evolution operators generated by the linear part. A continuation principle or a fixed point theorem are used, according to the various regularity and growth conditions assumed. Applications to the study of parabolic and hyperbolic partial differential equations are given

Nonlocal problems in Hilbert spaces

An existence result for differential inclusions in a separable Hilbert space is furnished. A wide family of nonlocal boundary value problems is treated, including periodic, anti-periodic, mean value and multipoint conditions. The study is based on an approximation solvability method. Advanced topological methods are used as well as a Scorza Dragoni-type result for multivalued maps. The conclusions are original also in the single-valued setting. An application to a nonlocal dispersal model is given

Controllability for systems governed by semilinear evolution equations without compactness

We study the controllability for a class of semilinear differential inclusions in Banach spaces. Since we assume the regularity of the nonlinear part with respect to the weak topology, we do not require the compactness of the evolution operator generated by the linear part. As well we are not posing any conditions on the multivalued nonlinearity expressed in terms of measures of noncompactness. We are considering the usual assumption on the controllability of the associated linear problem. Notice that, in infinite dimensional spaces, the above mentioned compactness of the evolution operator and linear controllability condition are in contradiction with each other. We suppose that the nonlinear term has convex, closed, bounded values and a weakly sequentially closed graph when restricted to its second argument. This regularity setting allows us to solve controllability problem under various growth conditions. As application, a controllability result for hyperbolic integro-differential equations and inclusions is obtained. In particular, we consider controllability of a system arising in a model of nonlocal spatial population dispersal and a system governed by the second order one-dimensional telegraph equation

On noncompact fractional order differential inclusions with generalized boundary condition and impulses in a Banach space

We provide existence results for a fractional differential inclusion with nonlocal conditions and impulses in a reflexive Banach space. We apply a technique based on weak topology to avoid any kind of compactness assumption on the nonlinear term. As an example we consider a problem in population dynamic described by an integro-partial-differential inclusion

On solvability of the impulsive Cauchy problem for integro-differential inclusions with non-densely defined operators

We prove the existence of at least one integrated solution to an impulsive Cauchy problem for an integro-differential inclusion in a Banach space with a non-densely defined operator. Since we look for integrated solution we do not need to assume that A is a Hille Yosida operator. We exploit a technique based on the measure of weak non-compactness which allows us to avoid any hypotheses of compactness both on the semigroup generated by the linear part and on the nonlinear term. As the main tool in the proof of our existence result, we are using the Glicksberg–Ky Fan theorem on a fixed point for a multivalued map on a compact convex subset of a locally convex topological vector space

Semilinear evolution equations in abstract spaces and applications

The existence of mild solutions is obtained, for a semilinear multivalued equation in a reflexive Banach space. Weakly compact valued nonlinear terms are considered, combined with strongly continuous evolution operators generated by the linear part. A continuation principle or a fixed point theorem are used, according to the various regularity and growth conditions assumed. Applications to the study of parabolic and hyperbolic partial differential equations are given

Nonlocal solutions of parabolic equations with strongly elliptic differential operators

The paper deals with second order parabolic equations on bounded domains with Dirichlet conditions in arbitrary Euclidean spaces. Their interest comes from being models for describing reaction–diffusion processes in several frameworks. A linear diffusion term in divergence form is included which generates a strongly elliptic differential operator. A further linear part, of integral type, is present which accounts of nonlocal diffusion behaviours. The main result provides a unifying method for studying the existence and localization of solutions satisfying nonlocal associated boundary conditions. The Cauchy multipoint and the mean value conditions are included in this investigation. The problem is transformed into its abstract setting and the proofs are based on the homotopic invariance of the Leray–Schauder topological degree. A bounding function (i.e. Lyapunov-like function) theory is developed, which is new in this infinite dimensional context. It allows that the associated vector fields have no fixed points on the boundary of their domains and then it makes possible the use of a degree argument

Nonlocal semilinear evolution equations without strong compactness: theory and applications

A semilinear multivalued evolution equation is considered in a reflexive Banach space. The nonlinear term has convex, closed, bounded values and a weakly sequentially closed graph when restricted to its second argument. No strong compactness is assumed, neither on the evolution operator generated by the linear part, or on the nonlinear term. A wide family of nonlocal associated boundary value problems is investigated by means of a fixed point technique. Applications are given to an optimal feedback control problem, to a nonlinear hyperbolic integro-differential equation arising in age-structure population models, and to a multipoint boundary value problem associated to a parabolic partial differential equation