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Age-related changes in gait for multi-surface terrain.

Daniel S Marigold1, Aftab E Patla

  • 1Département de Physiologie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada. daniel.marigold@umontreal.ca

Gait & Posture
|October 27, 2007
PubMed
Summary

Older adults experience greater gait variability on challenging multi-surface terrain, indicating increased balance difficulties compared to young adults. This study highlights terrain

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Area of Science:

  • Biomechanics
  • Gerontology
  • Human Movement Science

Background:

  • Gait variability is a crucial indicator of balance and mobility.
  • Aging is associated with changes in gait patterns and increased fall risk.
  • Understanding gait on varied terrain is essential for assessing mobility challenges in older adults.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the effects of aging on gait variability across multi-surface terrain.
  • To compare gait variability on multi-surface terrain versus solid ground.
  • To identify age-related differences in gait parameters on challenging surfaces.

Main Methods:

  • Ten young and 10 older adults walked on a walkway with varied surfaces (solid, compliant, rocky, irregular, slippery, uneven).
  • Gait variability was assessed using measures of step length, step width, trunk pitch and roll, trunk center of mass (tCOM) acceleration, and head acceleration.
  • Statistical analyses compared young and older adults' gait parameters on different terrains.

Main Results:

  • Both age groups exhibited increased step, trunk, and head variability on multi-surface terrain compared to solid ground.
  • Older adults showed significantly greater medial-lateral tCOM acceleration RMS and trunk roll RMS on the multi-surface terrain.
  • Older adults walked slower and took shorter steps, but showed no age-related differences in step variability.

Conclusions:

  • Multi-surface terrain significantly challenges gait stability for both young and older adults.
  • The increased gait variability, particularly in older adults, suggests a heightened risk to balance.
  • These findings underscore the importance of considering environmental complexity in mobility assessments for aging populations.

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