title: Altered gait termination strategies following a concussion.
abstract: The purpose was to determine if planned gait termination can identify acute and lingering motor control strategy alterations in post-concussion individuals. Controls completed two standard gait and five planned gait termination trials once while concussed individuals were tested on Day-1 and Day-10 post-concussion. Dependent variables included gait velocity and normalized, relative to standard gait, peak propulsive and braking forces. Control and only Day-1 post-concussion gait velocity differed. Normalized peak propulsive and braking forces were altered on both Day-1 and Day-10. Altered propulsive and braking forces persisted despite all concussion participants achieving their baseline values on standard concussion clinical tests. Thus gait termination can detect both acute and lingering motor control strategy alterations following concussion.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health and Kinesiology, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA 30460, USA. TBuckley@Georgiasouthern.edu
authors.forename: Thomas A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Buckley
authors.forename: Barry A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Munkasy
authors.forename: Tiffen G
authors.initials: TG
authors.lastname: Tapia-Lovler
authors.forename: Erik A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Wikstrom
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001924:Brain Concussion / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005684:Gait / Q000502:physiology; D020233:Gait Disorders, Neurologic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D004856:Postural Balance / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Concussion; Gait termination; Postural control