Areas of Expertise
Gait assessment, Gait rehabilitation, Stroke rehabilitation, Elderly, Falls
Education
University of Florida, Gainesville
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Doctor of Philosophy, Rehabilitation Science, 2008
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Dissertation: Quantification of Asymmetrical Stepping Post-stroke and Its Relationship to Hemiparetic Walking Performance
Manipal Academy of Higher Education, India
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Bachelor of Physical Therapy, 2001
Biography
My research goal is to enhance evidence-based practice in physical therapy rehabilitation practice and to aid in development of a scientific framework to design efficient rehabilitation strategies for walking and balance improvement. My research interests include understanding the neural control of movement, assessment of asymmetrical walking post-stroke, assessment of impaired walking using biomechanical, neurophysiologic and clinical measures and designing therapeutic strategies to improve walking and balance function. Furthermore, I am interested in evaluating the risk for falls in different neurological and geriatric populations and designing efficient and effective assessments to evaluate balance and mobility. I believe that quantification of walking impairments and understanding their relation to functional walking performance are pivotal to develop targeted therapeutic strategies to improve functional walking ability.
Awards
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Award for Research Excellence, Scholars Transforming Academic Research Symposium (STARS), University of North Florida, Jacksonville, FL (2011)
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Neural Control Movement Society Scholarship, Naples, FL (2008)
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PHHP Graduate student Research Grant award, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL (2007)
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Travel Award for best poster presentation, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL (2005)
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Certificate for academic accomplishment, International Center, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL (2005)
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Certificate for academic accomplishment, International Center, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL (2004)
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Alumni fellowship, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL (2003)
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Memorial Gold Medal award for academic excellence for the year 2002, Karnataka state, India (2002)
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Gold Medal for being the Best Outgoing student in Bachelor of Physiotherapy, MAHE, India (2001)
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Gold Medal for debating rehabilitation issues, National conference of Indian Physical therapy association, India (2000)
Grants and Contracts Awarded
2012-2013. Proposal Development Grant, University of North Florida. $10,000
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Gait adaptability in persons following a Stroke
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Role: PI
2010-2011. Faculty Research Grant, University of North Florida. $7,500
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The effect of walking protocols on the measurement of gait variability
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Role: PI
2010-2011. Center for Community-Based Learning. $10,000
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Participation in Sports and Recreational Activities for persons with Physical Disabilities: A Pilot Study to initiate community based engagement between University of North Florida Graduate Physical Therapy Students and participants in the Brooks Adaptive Sports and Recreation Program
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Role: Team Leader
2009-2012. Brooks Dean’s Professorship Grant, University of North Florida. $54,000
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Use of ‘The Community Balance and Mobility Scale’ for evaluation of balance and walking in community-dwelling older adults
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Role: PI
2007. Student Research Grant. $1,000
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Swing phase dynamics during hemiparetic walking: Step-to-step variability
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Role: PI
Publications & Presentations
PEER-REVIEWED PUBLICATIONS
Phadke CP, Balasubramanian CK, Ismail FF, Boulias C. Revisiting physiological and psychological stimuli that increase spasticity. American Journal of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. 2013 Jan. doi: 10.1097/PHM.0b013e31827d68a4.
Balasubramanian CK, Neptune RR, Kautz SA. Foot placement in a body reference frame during walking and its relationship to hemiparetic walking performance. Clinical Biomechanics. 2010 Jun;25(5):483-90. Epub 2010 Mar 2.
Balasubramanian CK, Neptune RR, Kautz SA. Variability in spatiotemporal step characteristics and its relationship to hemiparetic walking performance. Gait Posture. 2009 April; 29(3):408-14.
Bowden MG, Balasubramanian CK, Behrman AL, Kautz SA. Validation of a speed-based classification system using quantitative measures of walking performance post-stroke. Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair. 2008 Nov-Dec;22(6):672-5.
Balasubramanian CK, Bowden MG, Neptune RR, Kautz SA. Relationship between step length asymmetry and walking performance in subjects with chronic hemiparesis. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. 2007 January; 88(1):43-9.
Bowden MG, Balasubramanian CK, Neptune RR, Kautz SA. Anterior-Posterior Ground Reaction Forces as a Measure of Paretic Leg Contribution in Hemiparetic Walking. Stroke. 2006 March; 37(3):872-6.
NON PEER-REVIEWED PUBLICATIONS
Balasubramanian CK. Quantitative walking performance measures are a key component to recovery after a stroke. Invited article in Advance for Directors in Rehabilitation. Sports Medicine Issue. 2007 June; 72.
SELECTED PRESENTATIONS AND ABSTRACTS
Balasubramanian CK, Saracino D. The Community Balance and Mobility Scale alleviates the ceiling effects observed in the currently used assessments for the higher-functioning community dwelling elderly. International Society for Gait and Posture Research, Akita, Japan, June 2013.
Balasubramanian CK, Page R, Stoecklein J. The effect of overground walking protocols on the measurement of average gait and gait variability data. International Society for Gait and Posture Research, Akita, Japan, June 2013.
Balasubramanian CK. Saracino D. Clinical Assessments for Gait and Balance. Florida Physical Therapy Association Super District Meeting, Jacksonville, April 2013.
Balasubramanian CK. The Community Balance and Mobility Scale: a new scale to evaluate higher-level balance and mobility deficits in the community-dwelling elderly. Combined Sections Meeting of the American Physical Therapy Association, San Diego, January 2013.
Phadke CP, Balasubramanian CK, Ismail FF, Boulias C. Revisiting physiological and psychological stressors that increase spasticity.16th European Federation of Neurologic Sciences in Stockholm, Sweden, 2012.
Balasubramanian CK. Validation of the Community Balance and Mobility Scale to evaluate balance and mobility in the community-dwelling elderly population. Accepted at World Confederation for Physical Therapy, Amsterdam, 2011.
Balasubramanian CK. The Community Balance and Mobility Scale evaluates higher-level gait and balance: a new scale with greater discriminatory ability than currently used gait and balance assessments. Accepted at the Internationational Society for Gait and Posture Research, Japan, 2011.
Balasubrmanian CK, Sethi A, Neptune RR, Kautz SA. Understanding the complexity of gait kinematics using non-linear analysis in persons with chronic hemiparesis. Accepted at the Internationational Society for Gait and Posture Research, Japan, 2011.
Balasubramanian CK, Neptune RR and Kautz SA. Patterns of foot placement relative to the pelvis in post-stroke hemiparetic walking: Insights into coordination of hemiparetic locomotion. Presented at Neural Control of Movement Meeting, Naples, Florida, April 2010.
Balasubramanian CK. Development of clinically relevant outcomes for walking rehabilitation post-stroke. Rehabilitation and Post-acute care services. June 2008. Chicago, IL. Invited Presentation.
Balasubramanian CK, Neptune RR and Kautz SA. Evaluation of the neuromotor mechanisms underlying step length asymmetry patterns during hemiparetic walking using a novel methodology of step-by-step variability in gait data. Presented at Neural Control of Movement Meeting, Naples, Florida, May 2008.
Bowden MG, Balasubramanian CK, Behrman AL, Kautz SA.Validation of a Speed-Based Classification System Using Quantitative Measures of Walking Performance Post-Stroke. Thematic Poster. American Physical Therapy Association Combined Sections Meeting, Nashville, Tennessee, February, 2008. Winner of APTA Neurology section award.
Balasubramanian CK, Kautz SA. Step length asymmetry and balance performance in persons with post-stroke hemiparesis. International Society Gait Posture Research, Pre-conference, Montreal, Canada, July 2007.
Balasubramanian CK, Bowden MG, Neptune RR, Kautz SA. Gait variability after a stroke and its relationship to dynamic balance. International Society Gait Posture Research, Vermont, Burlington, July 2007.
Balasubramanian CK, Bowden MG, Neptune RR, Kautz SA. EMG in stroke subjects with abnormal synergies: implications for walking rehabilitation. APTA Combined Sections Meeting, Boston, February 2007.
Balasubramanian CK, Bowden MG Neptune RR, Kautz SA. Relationship between asymmetrical step lengths and hemiparetic walking performance. Neural Control of Movement Meeting, Key Biscayne, May 2006.
Bowden MB, Turns LJ, Neptune RR, Balasubramanian CK, Knight R, Peterson C, Kautz SA. Paretic Leg Contribution in Hemiparetic Walking: Mechanisms of Paretic Propulsion. Neural Control of Movement Meeting, Key Biscayne, May 2006.
Kautz SA, Bowden MG, Balasubramanian CK, Neptune RR. A New Measure of Paretic Leg Contribution in Hemiparetic Walking. International Stroke Conference, Colorado, February 2006.
Kautz SA, Balasubramanian CK, Bowden MG, Neptune RR. Paretic leg contributions to walking speed in persons with post-stroke hemiparesis. Summer Bioengineering Conference, American Society for Mechanical Engineering, Colorado, June 2005.
