Adaptive control reduces trip-induced forward gait instability among young adults

A vital functional plasticity of humans is their ability to adapt to threats to posture stability. The purpose of this study was to investigate adaptation to repeated trips in walking. Sixteen young adults were recruited and exposed to the sudden (electronic-mechanical) release of an obstacle, 11-cm in height, in the path of over ground walking during the mid-to-late left swing phase. Although none of the subjects fell on the first of eight unannounced, consecutive trips, all of them had to rely on compensatory step with a step length significantly longer than their regular to reduce their instability. In the subsequent trials, they were able to rapidly make adaptive adjustments in the control of their center-of-mass (COM) stability both proactively and reactively (i.e., before and after hitting or crossing the obstacle), such that the need for taking compensatory step was substantially diminished. The proactive adaptations included a reduced forward COM velocity that lessened forward instability in mid-to-late stance and an elevated toe clearance that reduced the likelihood of obstacle contact. The reactive adjustments were characterized by improved trunk control (by reducing its forward rotation) and limb support (by increasing hip height), and reduced forward instability (by both the posterior COM shift and the reduction in its forward velocity). These findings suggest that young adults can adapt appropriately to repeated trip perturbations and to reduce trip-induced excessive instability in both proactive and reactive manners.