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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 25, 2026

Clinical Assessment of Spatiotemporal Gait Parameters in Patients and Older Adults
08:56

Clinical Assessment of Spatiotemporal Gait Parameters in Patients and Older Adults

Published on: November 7, 2014

Validity of a functional dynamic walking test for the elderly.

Sally D Lark1, Sowjanya Pasupuleti

  • 1University of Glamorgan, Faculty of Health, Sport, and Science, Pontypridd, Wales, UK. s.lark@massey.ac.nz

Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
|March 4, 2009
PubMed
Summary

The parallel walk test accurately measures dynamic balance in older adults during gait, proving more effective than the tandem walk test. This simple test can help clinicians assess balance in elderly individuals, especially fallers.

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Area of Science:

  • Gerontology
  • Biomechanics
  • Clinical Assessment

Background:

  • Assessing dynamic balance in the elderly is crucial for fall prevention.
  • Traditional balance tests can be time-consuming or difficult for this population.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To validate the parallel walk test as a safe, quick, and simple measure of dynamic balance in the elderly during gait.
  • To compare the parallel walk test's effectiveness against other balance assessments.

Main Methods:

  • A control study involving 27 elderly fallers and 34 non-fallers was conducted in an outpatient setting.
  • Participants performed the parallel walk test at various widths and completed other balance assessments like the tandem walk test and stance tests.
  • Time to completion and foot placement scores were recorded for the parallel walk test.

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Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 25, 2026

Clinical Assessment of Spatiotemporal Gait Parameters in Patients and Older Adults
08:56

Clinical Assessment of Spatiotemporal Gait Parameters in Patients and Older Adults

Published on: November 7, 2014

Traditional Trail Making Test Modified into Brand-new Assessment Tools: Digital and Walking Trail Making Test
08:07

Traditional Trail Making Test Modified into Brand-new Assessment Tools: Digital and Walking Trail Making Test

Published on: November 23, 2019

Evaluating the Function of the Foot Core System in the Elderly
08:25

Evaluating the Function of the Foot Core System in the Elderly

Published on: March 11, 2022

Main Results:

  • All participants successfully completed the parallel walk test, unlike the tandem walk test.
  • Elderly fallers demonstrated significantly poorer performance (higher scores, longer completion times) on the parallel walk test, particularly at a 20cm width.
  • The parallel walk test showed a significant correlation with tandem stance stability.

Conclusions:

  • The parallel walk test is a valid and reliable tool for measuring dynamic balance in the elderly during gait.
  • Its ease of completion and discriminatory power make it suitable for clinical use in assessing balance and monitoring interventions in older adults.