Neuromaturation of human locomotion revealed by non-dimensional scaling.
When two fundamental gait parameters--step length and step frequency--are scaled non-dimensionally, thereby accounting for increases in a child's physical size, ontogenetic changes in the locomotor control strategy are revealed. We believe dimensionless velocity beta, the product of dimensionless step length and frequency, serves as a measure of neural development. It increases from the age of 18 months and reaches a plateau between 50 and 90 months, attaining the adult value of 0.45. Based on a study of 200 children, our findings lend support to a theory that posits a neuromaturation growth curve with the form: beta (t)=0.45 (1-e(-0.05t)) where t is the age in months and 0.05 is the growth coefficient.
Vaughan
Christopher L
CL
MRC/UCT Medical Imaging Research Unit, Department of Human Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, 7925 Observatory, Western Cape, South Africa. kvaughan@cormack.uct.ac.za
Langerak
Nelleke G
NG
O'Malley
Mark J
MJ
D000293:Adolescent; D001824:Body Constitution / Q000502:physiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005684:Gait / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008959:Models, Neurological; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000502:physiology*