PACE Laboratory

The PACE Lab’s mission is to promote and facilitate collaborative interprofessional clinical rehabilitation research, mentor student (professional and post-professional) research, and provide consultation for study design and grant proposals.

Resources

The laboratory is fully equipped with state-of-the-art equipment for the measurement of cognitive and motor performance, function and participation. Equipment includes:

• Gait and Balance: We perform gait analysis using an instrumented walkway (Zeno), a footswitch system (Clinical Stride Analyzer), and an inertial sensor system (APDM), which is also capable of recording and measuring posture, balance, and upper extremity movement.
• Exercise Tolerance Test is performed using a Parvomedics metabolic cart and either a Lode electronically braked recumbent cycle ergometer or a treadmill. 
• Muscle Oxygen Uptake is measured with non-invasive near-infrared spectroscopy (Portamon).
• Physical Activity and Energy Expenditure: Energy expenditure during physical activity is measured with an accelerometer-based system (IDEEA) and with wearable sensors (Actigraph, Polar heart monitor, Bioharness).
• Heart Rate, Inter-Beat-Interval, and Physical Activity Measures can be measured with a mobile chest-worn Actiheart heart monitor system (sensors and software), which also measures overall physical activity and energy expenditure during functional tasks.
• Precision Grip (control of fingertip forces) is measured with a custom-built instrument and custom software for data collection and analysis.
• Functional Reaching can be measured in children and adults with the inertial sensor system (APDM).
• Muscle Strength can be measured with handheld and fixed myometers.
• Clinical Expertise for valid and reliable clinical tools and technology to measure client reported outcomes regarding cognitive and motor function, pain, fatigue, physical functioning, functional literacy, emotional state, social roles, and participation and their impact in clients’ quality of life across age groups, and a variety of chronic diseases.
• Active Video Gaming Kits with Kinect Sensor for the design of therapeutic games for youth.

Contact Us

Please note: Due to COVID-19 precautions, the PACE Lab is currently not accepting student volunteers.

For more information or to discuss a project, please contact ptotpacelab@cumc.columbia.edu.