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Physically active older adults display alterations in gait initiation.

Marketta Henriksson1, Helga Hirschfeld

  • 1Neurotec Department 23100, Motor Control and Physical Therapy Research Laboratory, Karolinska Institutet, SE-141 83 Stockholm, Sweden. marketta.henriksson@neurotec.ki.se

Gait & Posture
|March 12, 2005
PubMed
Summary

Older adults exhibit altered gait initiation strategies, including longer reaction times and different muscle activation patterns, compared to younger individuals, impacting fall prevention. Understanding these age-related motor changes is crucial for designing effective training programs.

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Area of Science:

  • Gerontology
  • Biomechanics
  • Motor Control

Background:

  • Age-related changes in motor behavior are critical for designing fall-prevention training for the elderly.
  • Gait initiation is a high-risk phase for falls, especially in older adults.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare gait initiation strategies between healthy older and young adults.
  • To identify age-related differences in weight bearing, muscle activation, and reaction time during gait initiation.

Main Methods:

  • Electromyography of tibialis anterior (TA) and lateral gastrocnemius (LG) muscles were recorded.
  • Ground reaction forces and step lengths were measured in 29 older (65-79 years) and 28 younger (23-40 years) adults.
  • Participants initiated gait in response to a traffic light, with freely chosen or predetermined leading legs.

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Main Results:

  • Older adults had significantly longer reaction times (46%) and more unequal weight distribution during initial standing.
  • Differences in swing leg forces and delayed lateral gastrocnemius (LG) recruitment were observed in the elderly.
  • Anticipatory tibialis anterior (TA) onset was absent in some elderly participants but improved with repetition and when the starting leg was predetermined.

Conclusions:

  • Ageing significantly alters weight bearing and ankle muscle activation during gait initiation.
  • Predetermined leg initiation and practice can mitigate some age-related gait initiation deficits in the elderly.
  • Findings highlight the need for targeted interventions to improve gait initiation stability in older adults.