title: The effects of age on medio-lateral stability during normal and narrow base walking.
abstract: We examined age-related differences in frontal plane stability during performance of narrow base (NB) walking relative to usual gait. A cross-sectional analysis of participants from the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging (BLSA) was performed on data from the BLSA Motion Analysis Laboratory. Participants were 34 adults aged 54-92 without history of falls. We measured step error rates during NB gait and spatial-temporal parameters, frontal plane stability, and gait variability during usual and NB gait. There was a non-significant age-associated linear increase in step error rate (P=0.12) during NB gait. With increasing age, step width increased (P=0.002) and step length and stride velocity decreased (P<0.001), especially during NB gait. Age-associated increases in medio-lateral (M-L) center of mass (COM) peak velocity (P<0.001) and displacement (P=0.005) were also greater during NB compared to usual gait. With increasing age there was greater variability in stride velocity (P=0.001) and step length (P<0.001) under both conditions. Age-associated differences related to M-L COM stability suggest that the quantification of COM control during NB gait may improve identification of older persons at increased falls risk.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Research Branch, National Institute on Aging-National Institutes of Health, Harbor Hospital Center, 5th Floor, 3001 S. Hanover Street, Baltimore, MD 21225, United States. schrag17@ku.edu
authors.forename: Matthew A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Schrager
authors.forename: Valerie E
authors.initials: VE
authors.lastname: Kelly
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Price
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ferrucci
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shumway-Cook
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005684:Gait / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D004856:Postural Balance; D016138:Walking / Q000502:physiology*