Head orientation and gait stability in young adults,dancers and older adults |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Bioengineering and Biomechanics Laboratory, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia, Brazil;2. Department of Human Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam Movement Science, Amsterdam, The Netherlands;1. Department of Clinical Sciences, Family Medicine, Lund University, Jan Waldenströms gata 35, 205 02 Malmö, Sweden;2. Department of Health Sciences, Lund University, P.O. Box 157, 221 00 Lund, Sweden;1. Clinical Rehabilitation, School of Health Sciences, Flinders University, Australia;2. Discipline of Physiotherapy, School of Health Sciences, Flinders University, Australia;3. Discipline of Physiotherapy, Graduate School of Health, University of Technology Sydney, Australia;1. School of Physical Therapy and Athletic Training, College of Health Sciences, Old Dominion University, 3118 Health Sciences Building, Norfolk, VA 23529, USA;2. Department of Human Movement Sciences, College of Education, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA 23508, USA;1. School of Physical Therapy and Athletic Training, College of Health Sciences, Old Dominion University, 3118 Health Sciences Building, Norfolk, VA 23529, USA;2. Nebraska Biomechanics Core Facility, University of Nebraska, Omaha, NE 68182, USA;1. Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and North Carolina State University, United States;2. Human Movement Science Curriculum, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, United States;1. Program of Interdisciplinary Health Sciences, The University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX, 79968, USA;2. Department of Kinesiology and Health, Georgia State University, P.O. Box 3975, Atlanta, GA, 30302, USA |
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| Abstract: | BackgroundControl of body orientation requires head motion detection by the vestibular system and small changes with respect to the gravitational acceleration vector could cause destabilization.Research questionWe aimed to compare the effects of different head orientations on gait stability in young adults, dancers and older adults.MethodsThree groups of 10 subjects were evaluated, the first composed of young adults (aged 18–30 years), the second composed of young healthy dancers under high performance dance training (aged 18–30 years), and the third group composed of community-dwelling older adults (aged 65–80 years). Participants walked on a treadmill at their preferred speed in four distinct head orientation conditions for four minutes each: control (neutral orientation); dynamic yaw (following a target over 45° bilaterally); up (15° neck extension), and down (40° neck flexion). Foot and trunk kinematic data were acquired using a 3D motion capture system and the gait pattern was assessed by basic gait parameters (step length, stride width and corresponding variability) and gait stability (local divergence exponents and margins of stability). Main effects of conditions and groups, as well as their interaction effects, were evaluated by repeated-measures analysis of variance.ResultsInteractions of group and head orientation were found for both step length and stride width variability; main effects of head orientation were found for all evaluated parameters and main effects of group were found for step length and its variability and local divergence exponents in all directions.SignificanceAs expected, the older adults group showed less stable gait (higher local divergence exponent), the shortest step length and greater step length variability. However, contrary to expectation, the dancers were not more stable. The yaw condition was the most challenging for all groups and the down condition seemed to be least challenging. |
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| Keywords: | Gait analysis Dancing Vestibular system Margins of stability |
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