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Physiological cost index of walking for normal children and its use as an indicator of physical handicap
Insights
The physiological cost index (PCI) quantifies children's walking function. This measure, calculated from walking speed and heart rate, is a valuable indicator of mobility and handicap levels in children.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Biomechanics
- Human Physiology
Background:
- Assessing walking function in children is crucial for understanding mobility.
- Existing methods may not fully capture the physiological demands of walking.
- The physiological cost index (PCI) offers a combined measure of speed and exertion.
Purpose of the Study:
- To establish normative data for the physiological cost index (PCI) in healthy children.
- To determine the relationship between age and walking function parameters.
- To evaluate the PCI as a quantitative indicator of gait pathology.
Main Methods:
- Seventy-two children aged 3–12 years participated.
- Walking speed and heart rate were continuously monitored on a 25m walkway.
- The physiological cost index (PCI) was calculated for barefoot and shod conditions.
Main Results:
- Walking speed increased with age, while walking heart rate decreased.
- The PCI demonstrated a consistent range across different age groups.
- Mean PCI was 0.4 in shoes and 0.38 barefoot.
Conclusions:
- The physiological cost index (PCI) is a reliable measure for assessing walking function in children.
- PCI values are higher in children with pathological gaits, indicating its utility in quantifying handicap.
- This study provides normative PCI data for pediatric populations.
Abstract:
Seventy-two normal children aged between three and 12 years were assessed to establish their walking function. Speed of walking and heart rate were monitored continuously, both barefoot and in shoes, over eight consecutive lengths of a 25m walkway. Since heart rate is affected by speed, the physiological cost index (PCI)--which combines the two parameters--was calculated for each child, both barefoot and in shoes. Speed tends to increase and walking heart rate to decrease with age. However, resting heart rate also decreases with age, so the PCI has the same range for all ages. The mean PCI in shoes was 0.4 and barefoot was 0.38. The PCI for children with pathological gait is appreciably greater than that for normal children, so the PCI is a valuable quantitative indicator of the level of handicap.