Abstract
We examined age-related differences in frontal plane stability during performance of narrow base (NB) walking relative to usual gait. A cross-sectional analysis of participants from the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging (BLSA) was performed on data from the BLSA Motion Analysis Laboratory. Participants were 34 adults aged 54-92 without history of falls. We measured step error rates during NB gait and spatial-temporal parameters, frontal plane stability, and gait variability during usual and NB gait. There was a non-significant age-associated linear increase in step error rate (P = 0.12) during NB gait. With increasing age, step width increased (P = 0.002) and step length and stride velocity decreased (P <0.001), especially during NB gait. Age-associated increases in medio-lateral (M-L) center of mass (COM) peak velocity (P <0.001) and displacement (P = 0.005) were also greater during NB compared to usual gait. With increasing age there was greater variability in stride velocity (P = 0.001) and step length (P <0.001) under both conditions. Age-associated differences related to M-L COM stability suggest that the quantification of COM control during NB gait may improve identification of older persons at increased falls risk.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 466-471 |
Number of pages | 6 |
Journal | Gait and Posture |
Volume | 28 |
Issue number | 3 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Oct 2008 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Aging
- Frontal plane stability
- Mobility
- Postural control
- Tandem walk
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Orthopedics and Sports Medicine
- Rehabilitation
- Biophysics