title: Short-term changes in protective stepping for lateral balance recovery in older adults.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Fall prevention for older adults is dependent on the ability to maintain protective balance. This study measured the short-term changes of protective stepping following waist-pull perturbations in the medio-lateral direction, to identify what, if any, properties of protective stepping are improved with repeated perturbation exposures.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty waist-pulls (2 directions × 5 intensities × 6 repetitions) from a single session were analyzed separately as early, middle, and late testing periods, for a comparison over time of typical responses. Outcome measures included the number of evoked steps, type of step, incidence of interlimb collisions, and kinematic and kinetic properties of the first step in frequently used crossover-type responses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Improvements were evident as significantly reduced number of steps and collisions. However, these improvements could not be completely accounted for by significant changes in first step kinematic or kinetic properties.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We infer that older individuals experiencing repeated lateral waist-pull perturbations optimize the predictive or feed-forward motor control for balance recovery through stepping.
authors: Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science Dept., University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA.
authors: Don A
authors: DA
authors: Yungher
authors: Judith
authors: J
authors: Morgia
authors: Woei-Nan
authors: WN
authors: Bair
authors: Mario
authors: M
authors: Inacio
authors: Brock A
authors: BA
authors: Beamer
authors: Michelle G
authors: MG
authors: Prettyman
authors: Mark W
authors: MW
authors: Rogers
mesh_terms: D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000222:Adaptation, Physiological / Q000502:physiology; D000368:Aged; D003198:Computer Simulation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007866:Leg / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D008954:Models, Biological; D009068:Movement / Q000502:physiology*; D004856:Postural Balance / Q000502:physiology*; D012018:Reflex / Q000502:physiology*