Does local dynamic stability during unperturbed walking predict the response to balance perturbations? An examination across age and falls history.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Older adults are at an exceptionally high risk of falls, and most falls occur during locomotor activities such as walking. Reduced local dynamic stability in old age is often interpreted to suggest a lessened capacity to respond to more significant balance challenges encountered during walking and future falls risk. However, it remains unclear whether local dynamic stability during normal, unperturbed walking predicts the response to larger external balance disturbances.

Research question

We tested the hypothesis that larger values of local dynamic instability during unperturbed walking would positively correlate with larger changes thereof due to optical flow balance perturbations.

Methods

We used trunk kinematics collected in subjects across a spectrum of

SUBMITTER: Qiao M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6266865 | biostudies-literature | 2018 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature