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Clinical Assessment of Spatiotemporal Gait Parameters in Patients and Older Adults
Published on: November 7, 2014
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Complexity of human gait pattern at different ages assessed using multiscale entropy: From development to decline
1Department of Electrical, Electronic and Information Engineering "Guglielmo Marconi", University of Bologna, Viale Risorgimento 2, 40136 Bologna, Italy.
Gait & Posture
|June 7, 2016
Summary
Gait complexity, measured by multiscale entropy (MSE), changes across the human lifespan. This study shows gait complexity decreases from childhood to adulthood and slightly increases in old age, reflecting gait development and control maturation.
Area of Science:
- Biomechanics
- Human gait analysis
- Developmental kinesiology
Background:
- Multiscale entropy (MSE) is a valuable tool for assessing gait stability and fall risk in various populations.
- Gait complexity is hypothesized to follow a U-shaped trajectory throughout life, decreasing during maturation and increasing in senescence.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the age-related changes in gait complexity using MSE.
- To test the hypothesis that gait complexity varies predictably across the lifespan, from infancy to old age.
Main Methods:
- Applied MSE to trunk acceleration data (L5, 3 axes) from subjects across a wide age range (toddlers to elderlies).
- Calculated sample entropy (SEN) with varying time scales (τ=1-6) on raw, unfiltered acceleration data.
- Assessed traditional gait parameters: cadence, stride time variability, and harmonic ratio.
Main Results:
- Gait complexity (SEN) on vertical and anteroposterior axes showed a significant age effect, differing between adults and children.
- SEN values exhibited a trend of slight increase from young adulthood to old age, though not statistically significant.
- MSE revealed incomplete gait maturation in adolescents, contrasting with traditional gait parameters that suggested adult-like performance.
Conclusions:
- Gait complexity, particularly on the sagittal plane, serves as a key indicator of gait control maturation.
- MSE analysis provides novel insights into age-related gait development and control, complementing traditional gait metrics.
