title: Adaptive changes in gait of older and younger adults as responses to challenges to dynamic balance.
abstract: The study proposed to identify balance strategies used by younger and older adults during gait under proprioceptive, visual, and simultaneous proprioceptive-visual challenges. Participants ambulated under 4 conditions: consistent, noncompliant surface; inconsistent, compliant surface (C); consistent, noncompliant surface with vision obscured (NCVO); and inconsistent, compliant surface with vision obscured (CVO). Balance adaptations were measured as changes in gait velocity, cadence, and gait-stability ratio (GSR). Participants were 5 younger (mean age = 27.2) and 5 older (mean age = 68) healthy adults. Significant age differences were found for GSR (p = .03) on all surfaces. Older adults adopted a more stable gait pattern than younger adults regardless of the challenge presented by surface. Significant condition differences were found for velocity (p < .001) and cadence (p = .001). All participants exhibited significantly decreased velocity and increased cadence on surfaces C and CVO. Gait speed and cadence did not significantly change in NCVO. Younger and older adults exhibited similar adaptive balance strategies, slowing and increasing steps/s, under proprioceptive and proprioceptive-visual challenges to dynamic balance.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Therapy, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555-1144, USA.
authors.forename: Helen L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Rogers
authors.forename: Ronita L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Cromwell
authors.forename: James L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Grady
mesh_terms: D000222:Adaptation, Physiological / Q000502:physiology*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D005260:Female; D005684:Gait / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D004856:Postural Balance / Q000502:physiology; D011434:Proprioception / Q000502:physiology*; D014785:Vision, Ocular / Q000502:physiology; D016138:Walking / Q000502:physiology