Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 22, 2026
08:56
Clinical Assessment of Spatiotemporal Gait Parameters in Patients and Older Adults
Published on: November 7, 2014
Gait variability measures reveal differences between multiple sclerosis patients and healthy controls.
Jeffrey P Kaipust1, Jessie M Huisinga, Mary Filipi
1Nebraska Biomechanics Core Facility, Department of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation, University of Nebraska at Omaha, NE, USA.
Motor Control
|May 23, 2012
Summary
Patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) exhibit more regular gait patterns, indicated by lower Approximate Entropy (ApEn) values for stride length and step width compared to healthy individuals.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Biomechanics
- Gait Analysis
Background:
- Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic neurological disease affecting gait.
- Gait variability is a key indicator of balance and fall risk.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare gait variability in patients with MS versus healthy controls.
- To investigate differences in stride length and step width fluctuations during walking.
Main Methods:
- Kinematic data collected during 3-minute treadmill walking for 10 MS patients and 10 controls.
- Analysis using Approximate Entropy (ApEn), Coefficient of Variation (CoV), and Detrended Fluctuation Analysis (DFA).
- Focus on stride length and step width variability.
Main Results:
- Patients with MS showed significantly lower ApEn values for stride length (p < .001).
- Patients with MS demonstrated significantly lower ApEn values for step width (p < .001).
Conclusions:
- Gait in MS patients is characterized by more regular and repeatable stride length and step width fluctuations.
- This increased regularity suggests a reduced capacity for adaptation and response to gait perturbations in MS.
- Findings highlight potential implications for fall risk and mobility in MS.
Related Concept Videos
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Multiple sclerosis is a chronic autoimmune disease of the central nervous system (CNS) that affects the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerves. It is an inflammatory demyelinating disorder and a leading cause of neurological disability in young adults.EpidemiologyMS commonly begins between 20 and 40 years of age and is twice as common in women. Its exact cause remains unclear, but genetic susceptibility contributes, with higher risk in first-degree relatives and identical twins. A greater...
01:11Variability: Analysis
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