Correlation between gait and balance in people with and without Type 2 diabetes in normal and subdued light.
BACKGROUND
Balance and gait are both impaired in people with diabetes but no study has examined both in the same subjects in people either with or even without diabetes or related these to room lighting.


METHODS
Twelve subjects with type 2 diabetes (D) and 15 age-matched controls (C) were examined under conditions of full light, eyes closed (no light) and low light (5 candle power). Balance was assessed during standing by a computerized posturography device. Gait was analyzed during the initiation of movement, while walking at uniform speed and during turns of 0.66 meters diameter through accelerometers, foot contact sensors and the electomyogram recorded from the gastrocnemius and tibialus anterior muscles.


RESULTS
Subjects with diabetes had poorer balance during standing in diminished light compared to full light and no light conditions. When the room light was dimmed, sway during standing increased by an average of 25% in D. Control subjects did not have different sway with diminished light compared to the other lighting conditions. Gait was slower, circumduction greater and muscle use greater in D than C. There was a significant negative correlation between balance and gait; the worse the balance, the slower and poorer the gait for both groups of subjects (p<0.05), impaired balance accounting for 70% of the deviation in gait in D whereas it only accounted for 52% in C.


CONCLUSIONS
Balance and gait are related in people with and without diabetes. Diabetes causes balance and gait to both be impaired compared to C.
Petrofsky
Jerrold Scott
JS
Department of Physical Therapy, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA 92350, USA. jerry-petrofsky@sahp.llu.edu
Cuneo
Maria
M
Lee
Scott
S
Johnson
Eric
E
Lohman
Everett
E
D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004576:Electromyography; D005260:Female; D005684:Gait; D006801:Humans; D008027:Light; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D004856:Postural Balance