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Step by adaptive step: How younger and older adults navigate obstacles
Ashwini Kulkarni1, Chuyi Cui2, Shirley Rietdyk3
1Ellmer College of Health Sciences, Old Dominion University, 3061 Health Sciences 2 Building,, Norfolk, VA 23529, United States.
Gait & Posture
|April 22, 2025
Summary
Older adults destabilize step length more than younger adults when approaching obstacles, indicating a strategy to prevent trips. This finding can help assess neuromuscular control health.
Area of Science:
- Biomechanics
- Gerontology
- Motor Control
Background:
- Younger adults adjust step length to accurately place feet around obstacles, balancing accuracy with stability.
- This step length destabilization may improve foot placement accuracy but can also affect overall balance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if healthy older adults exhibit greater step length destabilization than younger adults when navigating stationary obstacles.
Main Methods:
- Healthy younger and older adults repeatedly approached and crossed a visible obstacle.
- The uncontrolled manifold method analyzed foot placement data to calculate the inter-step covariance (ISCz) index.
Main Results:
- Both age groups reduced step length stability (lowered ISCz) when approaching and crossing the obstacle.
- Older adults showed a significantly greater reduction in step length stability (14.5% lower ISCz) compared to younger adults.
Conclusions:
- Older adults' increased step length destabilization is likely a deliberate adaptation to minimize tripping risks.
- The ISCz index may serve as a valuable clinical tool for evaluating neuromuscular control system health.
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