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Published on: August 23, 2017
The effect of treadmill walking on the stride interval dynamics of children
Jillian A Fairley1, Ervin Sejdić, Tom Chau
1Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Insights
Treadmill walking alters children's stride dynamics, reducing stride interval persistence compared to overground walking. Unsupported treadmill walking showed the most significant changes in gait parameters for children.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Gait Analysis
- Locomotor Biomechanics
- Developmental Neuroscience
Background:
- Treadmills are common in pediatric rehabilitation and research for gait analysis and training.
- The impact of treadmill use on the dynamic gait characteristics of children remains largely uninvestigated.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the effects of overground walking (OW), unsupported treadmill walking (UTW), and handrail-supported treadmill walking (STW) on stride interval dynamics in children.
- To quantify changes in stride interval persistence (α) and other gait parameters across different walking conditions and age groups.
Main Methods:
- Thirty asymptomatic children participated in walking trials (OW, UTW, STW).
- Detrended fluctuation analysis was used to measure stride interval persistence (α).
- Preferred walking speed, stride count, stride duration, and stride interval coefficient of variation were also assessed.
Main Results:
- Stride interval persistence (α) was significantly lower during both UTW and STW compared to OW.
- Unsupported treadmill walking (UTW) resulted in the greatest reduction in α.
- Differences in preferred speed, stride count, and stride duration were observed between overground and treadmill conditions.
- Older children exhibited less stride interval variability than younger children.
Conclusions:
- Treadmill walking, particularly unsupported, alters pediatric stride interval dynamics, suggesting different locomotor constraints compared to overground walking.
- Age-related differences in gait variability may reflect developmental changes in sensory processing and motor control systems.
- Findings highlight the need to consider modality-specific effects when using treadmills for pediatric gait analysis and rehabilitation.
Abstract:
Treadmills are commonly implemented in rehabilitation and laboratory settings to facilitate gait analysis and training. However, while this locomotor modality is often used with children, its effect on pediatric stride interval dynamics is unknown. This study investigated the stride interval persistence of 30 asymptomatic children after completion of three to six 10-min walking trials comprised of: (i) overground walking (OW), (ii) unsupported treadmill walking (UTW), and (iii) handrail-supported treadmill walking (STW). The primary outcome measure was α, a quantifier of stride interval persistence obtained from detrended fluctuation analysis. Preferred walking speed, number of strides taken, stride interval duration, and stride interval coefficient of variation were also assessed. Stride interval persistence was significantly diminished during both treadmill walking conditions, compared to overground walking, with the largest decrease in α during UTW. Preferred speed, number of strides, and stride interval duration also differed between overground and treadmill walking, and older children demonstrated reduced stride interval variability compared to younger children. The observed treadmill and age effects on stride parameters may be due to a combination of differing locomotor constraints between overground and treadmill walking and developmental differences in sensory processing, cerebellar plasticity, and corticospinal involvement in locomotion.
