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An investigation of stride interval stationarity in a paediatric population
Jillian A Fairley1, Ervin Sejdić, Tom Chau
1Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Insights
Human gait stride intervals show non-stationarity in children across walking conditions. This finding suggests caution when using scaling analysis techniques that assume stable gait patterns.
Area of Science:
- Human locomotion
- Biomechanical analysis
- Time series analysis
Background:
- Stride interval fluctuations in human gait exhibit statistical persistence.
- This persistence varies with age, pathology, and walking speed.
- Understanding locomotor control relies on quantifying gait scaling behavior.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the stationarity of stride interval time series in able-bodied children.
- To analyze gait stationarity across three distinct locomotion modes: overground, unsupported treadmill, and handrail-supported treadmill walking.
Main Methods:
- Time series analysis of stride intervals.
- Application of the reverse arrangements test to assess weak stationarity.
- Examination of signals from three self-paced locomotion conditions.
Main Results:
- Stride interval time series were found to be non-stationary in all three walking conditions.
- Time-varying first and second moments were identified as the primary cause of non-stationarity.
- Significant differences in stationarity were observed between the investigated locomotor modalities.
Conclusions:
- The study identifies non-stationarity in children's gait stride intervals, challenging assumptions of stable gait patterns.
- Findings suggest that scaling analysis techniques assuming stationarity may yield inaccurate estimates for gait control.
- Results advocate for methods that account for time-varying moments in locomotor control research.
Abstract:
Fluctuations in the stride interval of human gait have been found to exhibit statistical persistence over hundreds of strides, the extent of which changes with age, pathology, and speed-constrained walking. Thus, recent investigations have focused on quantifying this scaling behavior in order to gain insight into locomotor control. While the ability of a given analysis technique to provide an accurate scaling estimate depends largely on the stationary properties of the given series, direct investigation of stride interval stationarity has been largely overlooked. In the present study we test the stride interval time series obtained from able-bodied children for weak stationarity. Specifically, we analyze signals obtained during three distinct modes of self-paced locomotion: (i) overground walking, (ii) unsupported (hands-free) treadmill walking, and (iii) handrail-supported treadmill walking. Using the reverse arrangements test, we identify non-stationary signals in all three walking conditions and find the major known cause to be due to time-varying first and second moments. We further discuss our findings in terms of locomotor control and the differences between the locomotor modalities investigated. Overall, our results advocate against scaling analysis techniques that assume stationarity.
