# Fatigue and mobility in stroke: a Biomechanical and Neurophysiological Investigation

> **NIH VA IK1** · RALPH H JOHNSON VA MEDICAL CENTER · 2020 · —

## Abstract

The long-term goal of this proposed career development award (CDA-1) is to accelerate the training and
development of the PI, allowing him to establish and independent line of research into the etiology and
consequences of post-stroke fatigue and dysfunctions of gait and balance. Prior to his collegiate studies the PI
served on active duty in the United States Marine Corps for nine years, receiving an Honorable Discharge upon
the expiration of his service contract. The PI completed his PhD in Human Bioenergetics at Colorado State
University and published 15 manuscripts in peer-reviewed journals during his time there. Since graduating has
had another paper accepted and has two manuscripts under review. Currently he is training under the tutelage
of Dr. Mark G. Bowden, PT, PhD, at the Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center. This proposal will allow the PI to
gain the necessary skills needed in neurophysiological assessment and analysis, biomechanical assessment
and analysis, and neuroimaging analysis to establish and independent VA backed research program focusing
on reducing the impact of fatigue, and gait and balance dysfunctions in healthy and neurologically impaired
Veterans. The assembled mentorship team is composed of experts in each of the skillsets the PI is hoping to
obtain. Up to 92% of people post-stroke experience fatigue and fatigue negatively affects physical and mental
performance and leads to a lower quality of life. Fatigue also affects many other neurological populations of
interest to the VA, such as traumatic brain injury and multiple sclerosis. Advances in the knowledge and
understanding of post-stroke fatigue may also lead to similar advances in other VA clinical populations. The first
aim is to characterize the corticomotor response in Veterans with post-stroke fatigue. The response will be
assessed using transcranial magnetic stimulation delivered to the cortical representations of lower extremity
muscles, e.g., tibialis anterior and soleus. Fatigue severity and corticomotor response variables will be correlated
to establish the link between altered neurophysiology and post-stroke fatigue. We expect to see longer, Lower
MEP amplitudes, stimulation latency, and corticosilent periods in participants with high levels of fatigue,
signifying a central mechanism of fatigue that can be targeted in future brain stimulation therapies. The second
aim of this study is to determine if participants with high levels of fatigue display unique gait biomechanical
characteristics. Differences between self-selected and fasted comfortable walking speeds will be calculated for
kinetic and kinematic properties of gait. These differences, i.e., walking capacity/reserve, represent a possible
behavioral adaptation to post-stroke fatigue to minimize effort due to high perceived fatigue. We expect that
Veteran’s with higher reported post-stroke fatigue will walk at a lower percentage (self-selected) of their
maximal capacity (fastest comfortable). This ai...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9982097
- **Project number:** 5IK1RX003126-02
- **Recipient organization:** RALPH H JOHNSON VA MEDICAL CENTER
- **Principal Investigator:** John Harvey Kindred
- **Activity code:** IK1 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** VA
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** —
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-08-01 → 2022-09-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9982097

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9982097, Fatigue and mobility in stroke: a Biomechanical and Neurophysiological Investigation (5IK1RX003126-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9982097. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*