scholarly journals Changes in Gait Parameters and Gait Variability in Young Adults during a Cognitive Task While Slope and Flat Walking

Healthcare ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 30
Author(s):  
Ga Young Park ◽  
Sang Seok Yeo ◽  
Young Chan Kwon ◽  
Hyeong Seok Song ◽  
Yu Jin Lim ◽  
...  

This study investigates the effects of a cognitive task while walking on a slope or a flat surface on gait parameters and gait variability in young adults. The participants consisted of thirty healthy young subjects. They were instructed to walk on a slope or on a flat surface while performing or not performing a cognitive task, which involved speaking a four-syllable word in reverse. A wearable inertia measurement unit (IMU) system was used to measure spatiotemporal parameters and gait variability. Flat gait (FG) while performing the cognitive task (FGC) and uphill gait (UG) while performing the cognitive task (UGC) significantly altered stride times, gait speeds, and cadence as compared with FG and UG, respectively. Downhill gait (DG) while performing the cognitive task (DGC) caused no significant difference as compared with DG. Gait variability comparisons showed no significant difference between UGC and UG or between FGC and FG, respectively. On the other hand, variabilities of stride times and gait speeds were significantly greater for DGC than DG. FGC and UGC induce natural changes in spatiotemporal gait parameters that enable the cognitive task to be performed safely. DGC should be regarded as high complexity tasks involving greater gait variability to reduce fall risk.

2018 ◽  
Vol 16 (12) ◽  
pp. 975-983
Author(s):  
Sunee BOVONSUNTHONCHAI ◽  
Pichaya HENGSOMBOON ◽  
Sitapa TANGLUANG ◽  
Pran ANUSRI ◽  
Pavitta CHOTIKUL ◽  
...  

Postural balance is influenced by alteration of somatosensory inputs. Sound and vibratory senses, one of several human senses may assist the postural control in a specific impaired situation. The aim of this pilot study was to quantify the effect of sound and vibration on postural balance in healthy young adults. Ten healthy young subjects volunteered to participate in the study. The average age, weight, height, and body mass index were 21.88 ± 0.42 years, 56.21 ± 9.80 kg, 159.75 ± 5.20 cm, and 21.99 ± 3.52 kg/m2. They were assessed for standing postural balance on a force plate over 6 conditions of sound and vibration applications under vision was excluded by using a blindfold. Postural balance variables consisted of planar deviation of Center of Pressure (CoP) and the maximum ranges of CoP in the medio-lateral (ML) and antero-posterior (AP) directions. Two-way ANOVA was used to find the effect and interaction effect of sound and vibration on the postural balance variables. Further analyses of the variables were performed on a basis of each factor. Between sound conditions (no sound and open sound), the variables were analyzed by the paired t-test. In addition, the effect of vibration (no vibration, vibration on quadriceps, and vibration on gastrocnemius) on the variables were analyzed by the one-way repeated measure ANOVA. Results demonstrated no interaction effect and main effect of sound and vibration on the postural balance variables (p > 0.05). In addtion, no significant difference of the postural balance variables between sound conditions (p > 0.05) as well as among vibration conditions (p > 0.05). In conclusion, sound and vibration did not effect to the postural balance during standing in healty young adults.


SAGE Open ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 215824402094572
Author(s):  
Lina Majed ◽  
Clint Hansen ◽  
Olivier Girard

Preferred walking speed (PWS) is considered a robust measure for assessing mobility and overall health. Healthy reference data are unavailable for Qatar. The aim of this study was to investigate PWS and underlying gait parameters around PWS among healthy young adults living in Qatar. PWS was assessed for 18 Qataris (9 females) and 16 non-Qatari Arabs residing in Qatar (9 females). Within- and between-gender group comparisons were carried out using Mann–Whitney U-tests. Metabolic cost of transport, heart rate, rating of perceived exertion, and spatiotemporal parameters were compared between Qatari and non-Qatari groups of similar gender at seven speed levels relative to PWS using two-way analyses of variance (ANOVAs). Similar comparisons were done at two absolute speeds using Mann–Whitney U-tests. While PWS did not differ significantly between the female groups, it was on average 19% slower for the Qatari males as compared to non-Qatari males. At similar relative speeds, differences appeared solely in physiological parameters between female groups. Only spatiotemporal differences were revealed between the male groups where longer stride and support phase durations and slower stride frequencies characterized the Qatari male group. It is suggested that differences in PWS could be due to potential cultural factors (e.g., cultural clothing) differentiating the Qatari and non-Qatari groups. PWS values reported in this study also appear systematically lower when compared to Western references found in the literature. Findings suggest that the assessment of normative gait values needs to take both cultural habits and geographic disparity into account.


Sensors ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (19) ◽  
pp. 6423
Author(s):  
Ewa Gieysztor ◽  
Mateusz Kowal ◽  
Małgorzata Paprocka-Borowicz

Background: The objective gait assessment in children has become more popular. Basis parameters for comparison during the examination are advisable. Objectives: The study aim was to investigate the typical gait parameters of healthy preschool and school children, using a wireless inertial sensor as the reference for atypical gait. The additional aim was to compare the specific gait parameters in the younger and older group of children. Methods: One hundred and sixty-one children’s gait parameters were evaluated by a G-Walk BTS G-SENSOR smart analyzer. The children were walking barefoot, at a self-selected speed, on a five-meter walkway, and they turned around and go back twice. Results: Age significantly influences most of the spatiotemporal parameters. The support phase becomes shorter with age. Accordingly, the swing phase becomes longer with age. The results also show that older children need shorter double support and have longer single support. Moreover, the pelvic tilt symmetry index is higher with increasing age. In each age division, the smallest variation in all gait parameters within the oldest group of examined children was observed. A comparison between the left and right side gait parameters shows the higher difference in boys than in girls. A significant difference was calculated in the pelvic obliquity symmetry index. Girls had significantly more symmetrical obliquity than boys. Conclusions: the research indicates the basic parameters of typical children’s gait, which may be a reference to atypical gait in the case of trauma or disability.


2016 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 49-56
Author(s):  
Nabeel Baig ◽  
Sundus Masood ◽  
Shazia Qudrat ◽  
Asif Ashiq Ali

OBJECTIVE To study the effects of BMI on temporal-spatial gait parameters in young adults TARGET POPULATION AND SAMPLE SIZE Target population in this study is students. Total 40 students participated in this study. Participants were drawn from College of Physical Therapy. STUDY DESIGN Observational study METHOD 40 young adults both male and female were selected, keeping 10 students in each group of underweight, normal weight, overweight and obese. Each participant was instructed to walk over 20 meters area both indoor and outdoor at their normal pace wearing normal footwear. Step length and cadence were measured and gait velocity of each participant was calculated. Results were compared for both outdoor and indoor walk. RESULT The result of this study revealed statistically no significant differences in the measured variables between four groups, i.e. underweight, normal weight, overweight, and obese young individuals in both outdoor and indoor settings and found significant difference is indoor walk step length and gait velocity. Overweight and obese individuals have shorter step length and gait velocity, underweight individuals walk was better than other groups CONCLUSION The study shows no difference in gait in relation of BMI. There was the difference in step length and gait velocity in overweight and obese individual.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thurmon Lockhart ◽  
Rahul Soangra ◽  
Hyunsoo Yoon ◽  
Teresa Wu ◽  
Christopher Frames ◽  
...  

Abstract Falls are among the most common cause of decreased mobility and independence in older adults and rank as one of the most severe public health problems with frequent fatal consequences. In the present study, gait characteristics from 171 community-dwelling older adults were evaluated to determine their predictive ability for future falls using a wearable system. Participants wore a wearable sensor (inertial measurement unit (IMU)) affixed to the sternum and performed a 10-meter walking test. Measures of gait variability, complexity, and smoothness were extracted from each participant, and prospective fall incidence was evaluated over the following 6-months. Gait parameters were refined to better represent features for a random forest classifier for the fall-risk classification utilizing three experiments. The results show that the best-trained model for faller classification used both linear and nonlinear gait parameters and achieved an overall 82.4% accuracy, 86.8% sensitivity, 81.2% specificity in the blind test. These findings augment the wearable sensor's potential as an ambulatory fall risk identification tool in community-dwelling settings. Furthermore, they highlight the importance of gait features that rely less on event detection methods, and more on time series analysis techniques. Fall prevention is a critical component in older individuals’ healthcare, and simple models based on gait-related tasks and a wearable IMU sensor can determine the risk of future falls.


2010 ◽  
Vol 90 (2) ◽  
pp. 177-186 ◽  
Author(s):  
Galit Yogev-Seligmann ◽  
Yael Rotem-Galili ◽  
Anat Mirelman ◽  
Ruth Dickstein ◽  
Nir Giladi ◽  
...  

BackgroundPrevious studies have demonstrated that the performance of a secondary task during walking alters gait.ObjectiveThis study investigated the effects of task prioritization on walking in young and older adults to evaluate the “default” prioritization scheme used, the flexibility to alter prioritization and cortical resources allocated to gait and a secondary cognitive task, and any age-associated changes in these abilities.DesignA cross-sectional study that explicitly altered the focus of attention was used to investigate the effects of prioritization in young and older adults who were healthy.MethodsGait speed and gait variability were evaluated in young adults (n=40) and older adults (n=17) who were healthy, both during usual walking and under 3 dual-task conditions: (1) no specific prioritization instructions, (2) prioritization of gait, and (3) prioritization of the cognitive task.ResultsYoung adults significantly increased gait speed in the gait prioritization condition compared with gait speed in the no-instruction condition; a similar tendency was seen in the older adults. Gait speed was reduced when priority was given to the cognitive task in both age groups; however, this effect was less dramatic in the older adults. In the young adults, prioritization of gait tended to have different effects on gait speed among both men and women. In the older adults, but not in the young adults, all dual-task conditions produced increased gait variability, whereas prioritization did not alter this gait feature.LimitationsThe sample size and the relative homogeneity of the older adults could be considered as possible limitations of the study.ConclusionsEven among young adults, the effects of secondary, cognitive tasks on gait speed are strongly influenced by prioritization. This finding was less significant in the older adults, suggesting that there is an age-associated decline in the ability to flexibly allocate attention to gait. Somewhat surprisingly, when prioritization was not explicitly instructed, gait speed in both young and older adults most closely resembled that of the condition when they were instructed to focus attention on the cognitive task.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Khalid Abdul Jabbar ◽  
Wei-Ting Seah ◽  
Lay Khoon Lau ◽  
Benedict Wei-Jun Pang ◽  
Daniella Hui-Min Ng ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Gait variability (GV) of various spatiotemporal parameters has been investigated in association with falls as well as physical and cognitive decline. However, the lack of consensus regarding the best approach to quantify GV as well as the lack of a composite score to represent the variabilities of the various spatiotemporal gait parameters, had dampened the reporting and acceptance of GV, especially among Asian researchers. The main objective of this study was to derive an Enhanced Gait Variability Index (EGVI) and reference values in an Asian population and to evaluate its validity as an indicator of physiological fall risk.Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in a large residential town of Yishun in Singapore. Random sample of community-dwelling adults (N = 511, 21 – 90 years old) categorized into 3 groups – reference group (N = 268, 21 – 64 years), low fall-risk (N = 182, ≥ 65 years) and high fall-risk (N = 61, ≥ 65 years). Physiological Profile Assessment (PPA) score of ≥ 2.0 was used to differentiate high fall-risk and low fall-risk groups. EGVI were derived from 5 spatiotemporal parameters: step length(cm), step time(s), stance time(s), single support time(s) and stride velocity(cm/s), with reference values from among participation less than 65 years of age.Results: Our Asian population showed greater overall gait variability than the European cohort in which the original EGVI was derived. This Asian EGVI displayed a non-linear relationship with both ageing and gait speed – significant changes in the EGVI were observed for those older than 60 years of age and in those whose habitual gait speed was lesser than 120cm/s. The EGVI discriminated between older adults with and without high fall risk and showed weak to moderate correlation with a number of the functional mobility and balance tests in both high and low fall risk groups.Conclusion: We derived an Asian Enhanced Gait Variability Index and reference values and validated its performance to discriminate high fall-risk and low fall-risk among older adults.


Sensors ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (17) ◽  
pp. 5806
Author(s):  
Lara Weed ◽  
Casey Little ◽  
Susan L. Kasser ◽  
Ryan S. McGinnis

Many falls in persons with multiple sclerosis (PwMS) occur during daily activities such as negotiating obstacles or changing direction. While increased gait variability is a robust biomarker of fall risk in PwMS, gait variability in more ecologically related tasks is unclear. Here, the effects of turning and negotiating an obstacle on gait variability in PwMS were investigated. PwMS and matched healthy controls were instrumented with inertial measurement units on the feet, lumbar, and torso. Subjects completed a walk and turn (WT) with and without an obstacle crossing (OW). Each task was partitioned into pre-turn, post-turn, pre-obstacle, and post-obstacle phases for analysis. Spatial and temporal gait measures and measures of trunk rotation were captured for each phase of each task. In the WT condition, PwMS demonstrated significantly more variability in lumbar and trunk yaw range of motion and rate, lateral foot deviation, cadence, and step time after turning than before. In the OW condition, PwMS demonstrated significantly more variability in both spatial and temporal gait parameters in obstacle approach after turning compared to before turning. No significant differences in gait variability were observed after negotiating an obstacle, regardless of turning or not. Results suggest that the context of gait variability measurement is important. The increased number of variables impacted from turning and the influence of turning on obstacle negotiation suggest that varying tasks must be considered together rather than in isolation to obtain an informed understanding of gait variability that more closely resembles everyday walking.


2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 901-901
Author(s):  
Snehal Kulkarni ◽  
Aarti Nagarkar

Abstract Countries across the globe recommended isolation to protect older adults from COVID-19 infection. However, this led to decreased mobility and physical inactivity potentially increasing their risk of fall. The study was conducted in a group of 88 older adults between 60-74 years with known gait impairments and high fall risk. The participants were part of our cohort study on fall prevention program. Fall risk and gait impairments were measured using wearable sensors during the Timed-up and go test (TUG) at baseline. Using technology, a 16-week video assisted home based exercises intervention was delivered to reduce fall risk and improve gait parameters. The intervention consisted of flexibility, strengthening, balance and gait training exercises given progressively through one video session per week. The participants performed these exercises at home for the rest of the week. A home visit immediately after 16th week was arranged to collect post intervention parameters. Results showed an average 20% decrease in fall risk post intervention. An overall large effect size with Cohen’s d of 0.90 was reported for fall risk. Significant difference in TUG time (Z = -4.610, p< 0.000), stride velocity (Z= -5.035, p<0.000), stride length (Z = -5.867, p<0.000), time taken to stand (Z = -7.363, p<0.000) and time taken to turn (Z = -6.079, p<0.000) was observed in the post-test measurements as compared to pre-test measurements. Therefore, we conclude that video assisted exercise programs can be highly beneficial as alternatives to in person exercise intervention to prevent falls during COVID-19 isolation.


Healthcare ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 470
Author(s):  
Myoung-Ok Park

(1) Background: The aim of this study was to investigate the association between single, dual task performance and impulsiveness personality traits of young adults in the community. (2) Methods: As a cross-sectional study, the Korean version of the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale-11-Revised test, which is an impulsiveness indicator test tool, was conducted on a total of 62 healthy young adults in the community. In order to assess the task performance ability, single task, motor dual task, and cognitive-motor dual task of Timed up and go (TUG) test were conducted. (3) Results: In order to identify the mean difference of the three types of TUG task performance according to the total score of impulsiveness test of all subjects, one-way ANOVA analysis was performed. As a result, there was no statistically significant difference by each task type. Upon investigating the correlation between the three subtypes (cognitive impulsiveness, motor impulsiveness, non-planned impulsiveness) of impulsiveness and total score and TUG task performance, cognitive impulsiveness and TUG-cognitive task performance showed statistically significant correlation. (4) Conclusions: There was an association with the degree of cognitive impulsiveness when performing motor task and cognitive task simultaneously.


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