Document Detail


Voluntarily changing step length or step width affects dynamic stability of human walking.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  22172233     Owner:  NLM     Status:  Publisher    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
Changes in step width (SW), step length (SL), and/or the variability of these parameters have been prospectively related to risk of falling. However, it is unknown how voluntary changes in SW and SL directly alter variability and/or dynamic stability of walking. Here, we quantified how variability and dynamic stability of human walking changed when individuals voluntarily manipulated SW and SL. 14 unimpaired, young adults walked on a treadmill at their preferred walking speed with normal gait, with a metronome and with narrower, wider, shorter and longer steps than normal. Taking narrower steps caused increased SL variability while mediolateral (ML) movements of the C7 vertebra (i.e., trunk) became locally more stable (p<0.05) and anterior-posterior (AP) C7 movements became locally less stable (p<0.05). Taking wider steps caused increased SW and SL variability, while ML C7 movements became both locally and orbitally less stable (p<0.05). Any change in SL caused increased SW, SL, and stride time variability. When taking shorter steps, ML C7 movements exhibited greater short-term local and orbital instability, while AP C7 movements exhibited decreased short-term and long-term local instability (p<0.05). When taking longer steps, AP, ML, and vertical C7 movements all exhibited increased long-term local instability and increased orbital instability (p<0.05). Correlations between mean SW, SL and dynamic stability of C7 marker motions were weak. However, short-term voluntary changes in SW and SL did significantly alter local and orbital stability of trunk motions.
Authors:
Patricia M McAndrew Young; Jonathan B Dingwell
Related Documents :
10688053 - Magnitude effects of galvanic vestibular stimulation on the trajectory of human gait.
10580913 - A two-dimensional analysis of limb symmetry in the trot of labrador retrievers.
21369573 - Ultrasensitive detection of lead(ii) with dnazyme and gold nanoparticles probes by usin...
Publication Detail:
Type:  JOURNAL ARTICLE     Date:  2011-12-13
Journal Detail:
Title:  Gait & posture     Volume:  -     ISSN:  1879-2219     ISO Abbreviation:  -     Publication Date:  2011 Dec 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2011-12-16     Completed Date:  -     Revised Date:  -    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  9416830     Medline TA:  Gait Posture     Country:  -    
Other Details:
Languages:  ENG     Pagination:  -     Citation Subset:  -    
Copyright Information:
Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Affiliation:
Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD 21201, United States; Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712, United States.
Export Citation:
APA/MLA Format     Download EndNote     Download BibTex
MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine


Previous Document:  Value Differentiation in Adolescence: The Role of Age and Cultural Complexity.
Next Document:  Effects of prolonged entanglement in discarded fishing gear with substantive biofouling on the healt...