The mobility performance of the elderly before, during and after crossing over an obstacle

Abstract

Purpose. Tripping over objects is a major cause of fall-related injuries. The elderly feature decreased locomotor velocity with aging and delays in locomotion when encountering obstacles. Numerous studies have analyzed how the mobility performance of the elderly is affected when crossing over an obstacle. However, how is mobility performance affected when performing sequences of various locomotor movements (gait, changing direction, standing up and sitting down) that make up activities of daily living? To answer this question, this study investigated the changes in locomotor velocity when encountering an obstacle during various locomotor movements in both older adults and young adults by using the TUG, a representative mobility test. Methods. Thirty older adults who were judged to be able to walk independently by the berg balance Scale (bSS) (age: 70.0 ± 6.94 yrs; bbS: 54.7 ± 1.78 pts) and seventeen male young adults (age: 21.7 ± 2.37 yrs) participated in the "Timed Up & Go" (TUG) test with and without an obstacle. Using the TUG score (the total time required to complete the test), a rate of the total times (with an obstacle/ without an obstacle) was calculated to create an index of the decline in mobility performance by the obstacle. Results. The decline in the mobility performance of the elderly was significantly larger than the young adults for the following measurements: in the single stance phases just before and after an obstacle, the time needed to change direction 180 degrees, and for level walking after crossing over an obstacle. Conclusions. The elderly require a longer period of time for stepping over obstacles. Gait and the ability to change direction after encountering an obstacle was found to be slower when compared to the younger male population.

The Effect of Tai Chi Chuan on Obstacle Crossing Strategy in Older Adults

“…This result was similar to previous studies (Zhang et al, 2011). Other studies also revealed that younger adults had a shorter stride time than older adults (Bovonsunthonchai et al, 2012;Uchiyama, Demura, & Sugiura, 2012) and that healthy people showed longer stride lengths and faster stride velocities than people with Parkinson's or cerebellar diseases (Kim et al, 2013;Vitório, Pieruccini-Faria, Stella, Gobbi, & Gobbi, 2010). McFadyen & Prince (2002) revealed that the longer stride time, shorter stride length and slower stride velocity in crossing obstacles may be positively related to a diminishing physical capacity in older adults.…”

Spatiotemporal gait and centre of mass variables while performing different smartphone tasks and confronting obstacle among young adults

“…When engaging with an obstacle, a greater adaptation strategy occurred, as exhibited with a considerable variation of the spatiotemporal gait and cOM variables in both with or without using a smartphone. When considering the age group that may be prone to injury from falls or trips, most attention is directed towards the elderly owing to the deteriorating body systems [34,35]. However, the challenging tasks of smartphone using together with locomotion performing in various environments could usually be observed in young lifestyles.…”

Effects of Balance Control Through Trunk Movement During Square and Semicircular Turns on Gait Velocity, Center of Mass Acceleration, and Energy Expenditure in Older Adults

“…The SCT course consisted of walking 3 m in a straight line, followed by a 2.355-m semicircular curve (radius, 0.75 m) and then a 3-m return straight path ( Figure 1). Colored tape (5 cm wide, approximately 0 cm thick) was used to demarcate the path [31].…”