Postural stability after treadmill and overground walking in young and elderly

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Biomechanics
• Neuroscience

Background:

• Aging impairs balance control and compensatory postural responses, increasing fall risk.
• Treadmill training is used in fall prevention but can cause sensory conflicts.
• Sensory conflicts during treadmill walking may affect postural stability post-training.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the effects of overground versus treadmill walking on postural stability.
• To assess these effects in both young and elderly healthy adults.

Main Methods:

• 31 young and 19 elderly participants' postural responses were measured.
• A force platform assessed stability in four stance conditions (firm/foam, eyes open/closed).
• Measurements were taken before and after overground and treadmill walking interventions.

Main Results:

• Elderly subjects showed increased velocity parameters after treadmill walking, but not overground.
• This effect was prominent with eyes open on both firm and foam surfaces.
• Elderly participants exhibited significantly increased velocity parameters compared to young participants post-walking.

Conclusions:

• Elderly individuals become more unstable after treadmill walking due to sensory conflict.
• Vision appears to be the primary factor for stabilization during and after treadmill walking.
• The effectiveness of treadmill walking in fall prevention programs for the elderly warrants careful consideration.