scholarly journals The Influence of Different Weight Carrying Methods On Human Gait and Balance During Obstacle Negotiation

2019 ◽  
Vol 63 (1) ◽  
pp. 32-36
Author(s):  
Fang Yang ◽  
Junxia Zhang ◽  
Wayne Giang ◽  
Mustafa Yerebakan ◽  
Boyi Hu
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Weight Distribution ◽  
Human Performance ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Force Plate ◽  
Human Gait ◽  
Gait Performance ◽  
New Approaches ◽  
Weight Carrying ◽  
Healthy Participants

In this study, the influence of different external weight distribution on human gait and balance during obstacle negotiation maneuvers different age groups was investigated. Eight healthy participants performed different walking tasks on a force plate embedded walkway with different loading while their gait performance was evaluated. Results demonstrated that older adults showed significantly deteriorated gait performance and increased variability during the obstacle crossing phase. In addition, weight distribution also affected human gait performance significantly. Results of the current study provide useful data for new approaches to design improvements which will enhance human performance and prevent falling injuries.

scholarly journals Achilles Tendon Loading is Lower in Older Adults Than Young Adults Across a Broad Range of Walking Speeds

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anahid Ebrahimi ◽  
Isaac F. Loegering ◽  
Jack A. Martin ◽  
Robin L. Pomeroy ◽  
Joshua Daniel Roth ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
Achilles Tendon ◽  
Wave Speed ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Force Plate ◽  
Tendon Injury ◽  
Moderate Increase ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Age Related

The purpose of this study was to investigate age-related differences in Achilles tendon loading during gait. Fourteen young (7F/7M, 26 ± 5 years) and older (7F/7M, 67 ± 5 years) adults without current neurological or orthopaedic impairment participated. Shear wave tensiometry was used to measure tendon stress by tracking Achilles tendon wave speed. The wave speed-stress relationship was calibrated using simultaneously collected tensiometer and force plate measures during a standing sway task. Tendon stress was computed from the force plate measures using subject-specific ultrasound measures of tendon moment arm and cross-sectional area. All subjects exhibited a highly linear relationship between wave speed squared and tendon stress (mean R2>0.9), with no significant age-group differences in tensiometer calibration parameters. Tendon wave speed was monitored during treadmill walking at four speeds (0.75, 1.00, 1.25, and 1.50 m/s) and used to compute the stress experienced by the tendon. Relative to young adults, older adults exhibited 22% lower peak tendon wave speeds. Peak tendon stress during push-off in older adults (24.8 MPa) was 32% less than that in the young adults (36.7 MPa) (p = 0.01). There was a moderate increase (+11%) in peak tendon stress across both groups when increasing speed from 0.75 to 1.50 m/s (main effect of speed, p = 0.01). Peak tendon loading during late swing did not differ between age groups (mean 3.8 MPa in young and 4.2 MPa in older adults). These age-related alterations in tendon tissue loading may affect the mechanobiological stimuli underlying tissue remodeling and thereby alter the propensity for tendon injury and disease.

Age Stratification and Sample Entropy Analysis Enhance the Limits of Stability Tests for Older Adults

2017 ◽  
Vol 33 (6) ◽  
pp. 419-423 ◽  
Author(s):  
Senia Smoot Reinert ◽  
Allison L. Kinney ◽  
Kurt Jackson ◽  
Wiebke Diestelkamp ◽  
Kimberly Bigelow
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Nonlinear Analysis ◽  
Center Of Pressure ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Force Plate ◽  
Sample Entropy ◽  
Limits Of Stability ◽  
Stability Performance ◽  
Additional Value ◽  
Young Old

The objective of this study was to determine if a foam testing condition and/or nonlinear analysis methods can be used to identify differences between age stratified subgroups of older adults when conducting the Limits of Stability assessment. Ninety older adults participated in this study. A force plate was used to record center of pressure data during Limits of Stability testing on a firm and foam surface. Participants were grouped into age-stratified subgroups: young-old (60–69 years), middle-old (70–79 years), and old-old (80+ years). Anterior-posterior (A/P) and medial-lateral (M/L) sway ranges and sample entropy values were calculated. The young-old group had significantly larger A/P and M/L sway ranges than the old-old group on both surfaces. A/P sample entropy increased significantly with age. M/L sample entropy increased significantly with age between the young-old and old-old and the middle-old and old-old groups. Sample entropy values between surfaces significantly differed for all groups. These results indicate Limits of Stability differences occur between older adults of different age groups and should be taken into consideration for clinical and research testing. Nonlinear analysis may help further identify differences in Limits of Stability performance while use of a foam surface is of limited additional value.

Cognitive Load Affects Speech Motor Performance Differently in Older and Younger Adults

2019 ◽  
Vol 62 (5) ◽  
pp. 1258-1277 ◽  
Author(s):  
Megan K. MacPherson
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Cognitive Load ◽  
Motor Performance ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Incongruent Condition ◽  
Sentence Production ◽  
Movement Duration ◽  
Production Task ◽  
Younger Adults ◽  
Speech Motor

PurposeThe aim of this study was to determine the impact of cognitive load imposed by a speech production task on the speech motor performance of healthy older and younger adults. Response inhibition, selective attention, and working memory were the primary cognitive processes of interest.MethodTwelve healthy older and 12 healthy younger adults produced multiple repetitions of 4 sentences containing an embedded Stroop task in 2 cognitive load conditions: congruent and incongruent. The incongruent condition, which required participants to suppress orthographic information to say the font colors in which color words were written, represented an increase in cognitive load relative to the congruent condition in which word text and font color matched. Kinematic measures of articulatory coordination variability and movement duration as well as a behavioral measure of sentence production accuracy were compared between groups and conditions and across 3 sentence segments (pre-, during-, and post-Stroop).ResultsIncreased cognitive load in the incongruent condition was associated with increased articulatory coordination variability and movement duration, compared to the congruent Stroop condition, for both age groups. Overall, the effect of increased cognitive load was greater for older adults than younger adults and was greatest in the portion of the sentence in which cognitive load was manipulated (during-Stroop), followed by the pre-Stroop segment. Sentence production accuracy was reduced for older adults in the incongruent condition.ConclusionsIncreased cognitive load involving response inhibition, selective attention, and working memory processes within a speech production task disrupted both the stability and timing with which speech was produced by both age groups. Older adults' speech motor performance may have been more affected due to age-related changes in cognitive and motoric functions that result in altered motor cognition.

Video Games and Emotion Regulation

GeroPsych ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 31 (4) ◽  
pp. 205-213 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathryn L. Ossenfort ◽  
Derek M. Isaacowitz
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Emotion Regulation ◽  
Video Games ◽  
Age Differences ◽  
Interactive Media ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Younger Adults ◽  
Media Usage ◽  
The Everyday ◽  
Media Preferences

Abstract. Research on age differences in media usage has shown that older adults are more likely than younger adults to select positive emotional content. Research on emotional aging has examined whether older adults also seek out positivity in the everyday situations they choose, resulting so far in mixed results. We investigated the emotional choices of different age groups using video games as a more interactive type of affect-laden stimuli. Participants made multiple selections from a group of positive and negative games. Results showed that older adults selected the more positive games, but also reported feeling worse after playing them. Results supplement the literature on positivity in situation selection as well as on older adults’ interactive media preferences.

Conflict Monitoring Across the Life Span

2014 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 124-135 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniela Czernochowski
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Life Span ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Conflict Detection ◽  
Response Conflict ◽  
Conflict Monitoring ◽  
Subsequent Performance ◽  
Additional Control ◽  
Performance Response ◽  
Conflict Detection And Resolution

Errors can play a major role for optimizing subsequent performance: Response conflict associated with (near) errors signals the need to recruit additional control resources to minimize future conflict. However, so far it remains open whether children and older adults also adjust their performance as a function of preceding response conflict. To examine the life span development of conflict detection and resolution, response conflict was elicited during a task-switching paradigm. Electrophysiological correlates of conflict detection for correct and incorrect responses and behavioral indices of post-error adjustments were assessed while participants in four age groups were asked to focus on either speed or accuracy. Despite difficulties in resolving response conflict, the ability to detect response conflict as indexed by the Ne/ERN component was expected to mature early and be preserved in older adults. As predicted, reliable Ne/ERN peaks were detected across age groups. However, only for adults Ne/ERN amplitudes associated with errors were larger compared to Nc/CRN amplitudes for correct trials under accuracy instructions, suggesting an ongoing maturation in the ability to differentiate levels of response conflict. Behavioral interference costs were considerable in both children and older adults. Performance for children and older adults deteriorated rather than improved following errors, in line with intact conflict detection, but impaired conflict resolution. Thus, participants in all age groups were able to detect response conflict, but only young adults successfully avoided subsequent conflict by up-regulating control.

INFLUENCE OF FOOT INSOLE ON THE GAIT PERFORMANCE IN SUBJECTS WITH FLAT FOOT DISORDER

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (06) ◽  
pp. 1950050
Author(s):  
M. T. KARIMI ◽  
R. B. TAHMASEBI ◽  
B. SATVATI ◽  
F. FATOYE
Keyword(s):  
Range Of Motion ◽  
Ankle Joint ◽  
Lower Limb ◽  
Walking Speed ◽  
Force Plate ◽  
Flat Foot ◽  
Gait Performance ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Foot Disorder

Flat foot is the most common foot disorder that influences the alignment of the lower limb structure. It is controversial whether the use of foot insole influences kinetic and kinematic of the leg or not. Therefore, this study investigated the influence of foot insole on the gait performance in subjects with flat foot disorder. A group of flat foot subject was recruited into this study (the number of subjects was 15). The motion of the leg joints was determined using the Qualysis motion analysis system. Moreover, the force applied on the lower limb was recorded by a Kistler force plate. The range of motion of the lower limb joints, the moments applied on the lower limb joints and force transmitted through the leg were the parameters used in this study. The difference between these parameters during walking with and without insole was evaluated using the paired [Formula: see text]-test. Significant value was set at [Formula: see text]. There was no significant difference between the range of motion of ankle joint while walking with and without insole. However, the medial directed force applied on the leg decreased significantly [Formula: see text]. The use of foot insole did not influence the moments transmitted through the hip and knee joints. The walking speed of the subjects improved while walking with foot insole. Use of foot insole influenced the magnitude of the force applied on the leg and the adductor moment of ankle joint due to its influence on foot alignment. As the walking speed of the improved subjects follows the use of insole, it can be concluded that it may have a positive effects on the performance of flat foot subjects.

scholarly journals ‘Too old to test?’: A life course approach to HIV-related risk and self-testing among midlife-older adults in Malawi

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Cheryl Johnson ◽  
Moses Kumwenda ◽  
Jamilah Meghji ◽  
Augustine T. Choko ◽  
Mackwellings Phiri ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Life Course ◽  
Hiv Testing ◽  
Sexual Risk ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Treatment As Prevention ◽  
Sexual Risk Taking ◽  
Rural And Urban ◽  
Self Testing

Abstract Background Despite the aging HIV epidemic, increasing age can be associated with hesitancy to test. Addressing this gap is a critical policy concern and highlights the urgent need to identify the underlying factors, to improve knowledge of HIV-related risks as well as uptake of HIV testing and prevention services, in midlife-older adults. Methods We conducted five focus group discussions and 12 in-depth interviews between April 2013 and November 2016 among rural and urban Malawian midlife-older (≥30 years) men and women. Using a life-course theoretical framework we explored how age is enacted socially and its implications on HIV testing and sexual risk behaviours. We also explore the potential for HIV self-testing (HIVST) to be part of a broader strategy for engaging midlife-older adults in HIV testing, prevention and care. Thematic analysis was used to identify recurrent themes and variations. Results Midlife-older adults (30–74 years of age) associated their age with respectability and identified HIV as “a disease of youth” that would not affect them, with age protecting them against infidelity and sexual risk-taking. HIV testing was felt to be stigmatizing, challenging age norms, threatening social status, and implying “lack of wisdom”. These norms drove self-testing preferences at home or other locations deemed age and gender appropriate. Awareness of the potential for long-standing undiagnosed HIV to be carried forward from past relationships was minimal, as was understanding of treatment-as-prevention. These norms led to HIV testing being perceived as a threat to status by older adults, contributing to low levels of recent HIV testing compared to younger adults. Conclusions Characteristics associated with age-gender norms and social position encourage self-testing but drive poor HIV-risk perception and unacceptability of conventional HIV testing in midlife-older adults. There is an urgent need to provide targeted messages and services more appropriate to midlife-older adults in sub-Saharan Africa. HIVST which has often been highlighted as a tool for reaching young people, may be a valuable tool for engaging midlife-older age groups who may not otherwise test.

scholarly journals Music Interventions for Older Adults in Clinical Trials and Research Studies Across Cultures and Settings

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 930-930
Author(s):  
Tara Rose ◽  
Elyse Manzo ◽  
Katherine Erickson ◽  
Joshua Valenzuela
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Best Practices ◽  
Music Therapy ◽  
Psychological Symptoms ◽  
Treatment Options ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Memory Loss ◽  
Music Intervention ◽  
Eligibility Criteria ◽  
The U.S

Abstract Music interventions and music therapy have become more common globally as nonpharmacological treatment options for memory loss, pain management, reduction of behavioral and psychological symptoms, and increased quality of life. Knowledge of multiethnic interventions is important when creating evidence-based programs within culturally diverse countries, such as the U.S. The purpose of this systematic review is to analyze music interventions for older adults across the globe to better understand emerging best practices. A review of all trials registered at clinicaltrials.gov and registries in the WHO Registry Network containing the key words “music therapy” were included, regardless of intervention type. Of the 627 studies generated, 449 met the eligibility criteria, with 11% enrolling only older adults and 89% enrolling older adults along with other age groups. Studies were conducted in 6 continents, 48 countries (23% in the U.S.), and in 23 languages. Music interventions for specific medical conditions (64%) or medical procedures (24%) were the primary foci in studies. While studies crossed multiple continents, less than 2% referenced ethnicity or culture in the study details. Detailed data on intervention types, demographics, measures, settings, and methodology will be presented. Results suggest that best practices in music therapy are being developed world-wide for the multitude of health challenges faced by older adults and demonstrate the diversity of music interventions in both medical and community settings. Information from this review can be used to improve the implementation of music intervention programs and may be particularly beneficial in countries with diverse multicultural populations.

scholarly journals Salience-based object prioritization during active viewing of naturalistic scenes in young and older adults

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Antje Nuthmann ◽  
Immo Schütz ◽  
Wolfgang Einhäuser
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Mixed Models ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Unique Contribution ◽  
Visual Salience ◽  
Unit Of Analysis ◽  
Scientific Debate ◽  
Object Based ◽  
Image Patches

AbstractWhether fixation selection in real-world scenes is guided by image salience or by objects has been a matter of scientific debate. To contrast the two views, we compared effects of location-based and object-based visual salience in young and older (65 + years) adults. Generalized linear mixed models were used to assess the unique contribution of salience to fixation selection in scenes. When analysing fixation guidance without recurrence to objects, visual salience predicted whether image patches were fixated or not. This effect was reduced for the elderly, replicating an earlier finding. When using objects as the unit of analysis, we found that highly salient objects were more frequently selected for fixation than objects with low visual salience. Interestingly, this effect was larger for older adults. We also analysed where viewers fixate within objects, once they are selected. A preferred viewing location close to the centre of the object was found for both age groups. The results support the view that objects are important units of saccadic selection. Reconciling the salience view with the object view, we suggest that visual salience contributes to prioritization among objects. Moreover, the data point towards an increasing relevance of object-bound information with increasing age.

scholarly journals Reference values and factors associated with hand grip strength among older adults living in southeastern Poland

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Agnieszka Wiśniowska-Szurlej ◽  
Agnieszka Ćwirlej-Sozańska ◽  
Justyna Kilian ◽  
Natalia Wołoszyn ◽  
Bernard Sozański ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Older People ◽  
Reference Values ◽  
Handgrip Strength ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Normative Values ◽  
Dominant Hand ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Factors Associated

AbstractHandgrip strength (HGS) is used as a biomarker for the state of health of older people, but the number of research publications containing the normative values of HGS in older adult populations is limited. The aim of the study was to define reference values and factors associated with HGS in older adults living in southeastern Poland. A cross-sectional study including 405 participants aged 65 and older was conducted. Handgrip strength for the dominant hand was assessed by the average of three trials using a JAMAR dynamometer. The sample was categorized into the following age groups: 65–69 years, 70–74 years, 75–79 years, 80–84 years, 85 and over. The average HGS was 19.98 kg (16.91 kg for women and 26.19 kg for men). There was a decrease in handgrip strength across the age range in both sexes. The average handgrip strength of the older people was 17.97 kg (14.47 kg for women and 25.66 kg for men) for those aged 80–85 and 16.68 kg (13.51 kg for women and 21.77 kg for men) in the group over 85 years old. In both sexes, marital status was an independent factor associated with reduced handgrip strength. In conclusion, this study described, for the first time, handgrip strength values for the southeastern Polish population aged ≥ 65 years according to age and gender.

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