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Summary
Gait variability in older adults is similar to younger adults for step length and stride time. Increased variability in stride width and double-support time is linked to balance control, not age.
Area of Science:
- Biomechanics
- Human Movement Science
- Gerontology
Background:
- Gait variability is a key indicator of motor control.
- Understanding age-related changes in gait is crucial for fall prevention.
- Previous studies have yielded conflicting results on gait variability in older adults.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare intercycle and step-to-step gait variability between young and older healthy adults.
- To investigate the relationship between specific gait parameters and underlying control mechanisms.
- To determine if increased gait variability is an inevitable aspect of aging.
Main Methods:
- Assessed temporal (stride time, double-support time) and spatial (step length, stride width) gait parameters.
- Analyzed variability using the coefficient of variation in 64 healthy adults (32 young, 32 older).
- Compared variability metrics between the two age groups.
Main Results:
- No significant differences in median coefficient of variation for any parameter between age groups.
- Step length and stride time showed low variability (<6%) in both groups.
- Stride width and double-support time exhibited higher variability (17-27%) in both groups.
Conclusions:
- Gait-patterning mechanisms (step length, stride time) are consistently controlled across ages.
- Balance-control mechanisms (stride width, double-support time) show greater variability, independent of age.
- Increased gait variability is not an inherent characteristic of healthy aging.