Dynamic postural control during (in)visible curb descent at fast versus comfortable walking velocity

Journal article


AminiAghdam, S., Griessbach, E., Vielemeyer, J. and Muller, R. (2019). Dynamic postural control during (in)visible curb descent at fast versus comfortable walking velocity. Gait and Posture. 71, pp. 38-43. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gaitpost.2019.04.014
AuthorsAminiAghdam, S., Griessbach, E., Vielemeyer, J. and Muller, R.
Abstract

© 2019 Elsevier B.V. Background: The unexpectedness of ground-contact onset in stepping down due, e.g., to a camouflaged curb during ongoing gait may impose potential postural control challenges, which might be deteriorated when walking faster. Research question: Does traversing camouflaged versus visible curbs, at a fast walking velocity, induce more unstable body configurations, assessed by a smaller anteroposterior “margin of stability” (MoS)? Methods: For twelve healthy participants, we investigated MoS at foot touchdown in descent and in the first recovery step from 0- and 10-cm visible and camouflaged curbs at comfortable (1.22 ± 0.08 m/s) and fast (1.71 ± 0.11 m/s) walking velocities. Three-way (velocity, elevation, visibility) and two-way (velocity, visibility) repeated-measurement ANOVAs were performed to determine their interactions on MoS, and its determining parameters, during curb negotiation and recovery step, respectively. Results: No greater postural instability when traversing a camouflaged versus visible curb at a faster walking velocity during curb descent, indicated by no three-way interaction effects on MoS. However, an elevation-by-visibility interaction showed a dramatic decrease of MoS when descending a 10-cm camouflaged versus visible curb. This was because of a farther anterior displacement of center-of-mass with a larger velocity. Furthermore, the walking velocity was independently associated with a smaller MoS and a more anteriorly-shifted center-of-mass with a higher velocity. In the recovery step, participants demonstrated a reduced stability of the body configuration when walking faster or recovering from a camouflaged than from a visible curb. The mentioned result implies that the potential to increase the base-of-support to compensate for an increased center-of-mass velocity, induced by an increased walking velocity, is limited. Significance: Despite a significant independent main effect of walking velocity, a more unstable postural control observed during traversing of camouflaged versus visible curbs was found not to be walking velocity-related in young individuals. Further research, including elderly may shed more light on these results.

Year2019
JournalGait and Posture
Journal citation71, pp. 38-43
PublisherElsevier
ISSN1879-2219
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gaitpost.2019.04.014
Publication dates
Print01 Jun 2019
Online13 Apr 2019
Publication process dates
Accepted11 Apr 2019
Deposited04 Nov 2019
Accepted author manuscript
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Open
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