title: The aging human neuromuscular system expresses less certainty for selecting joint kinematics during gait.
abstract: This investigation quantitatively characterized the certainty of the aging neuromuscular system in selecting a joint range of motion during gait based on the statistical concept of entropy. Elderly and young control groups walked on a treadmill at a self-selected pace. Joint angles were calculated for the ankle, knee and hip. We hypothesized that the aging group would exhibit less certainty in selecting a joint range of motion during gait. Our results supported this hypothesis, and indicated that aged individuals demonstrated statistically less certainty for the knee (16.8%) and hip (24.6%). We suggest that neurophysiological changes associated with aging may result in less certainty of the neuromuscular system in selecting a stable gait.
authors.affiliation: HPER Biomechanics Laboratory, University of Nebraska at Omaha, Omaha, NE 68182-0216, USA. mkurz@mail.unomaha.edu
authors.forename: Max J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Kurz
authors.forename: Nicholas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Stergiou
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D005080:Exercise Test / Q000379:methods; D005684:Gait / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007596:Joints / Q000502:physiology*; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000294:innervation* / Q000502:physiology*