Wolthuizen, L. (Linda) (2017) Differences in gait adaptation between young adults and middle-aged adults based on the gait pattern and muscular activities during split-belt walking. thesis, Human Movement Sciences.
Full text available on request.Abstract
The ability of adapting gait changes with ageing, which might be revealed in compensatory strategies to create a safer and stable gait pattern or changes in lower limb muscle activation. Young adults (n = 12) and middle-aged adults (n = 14) walked for 22 minutes on a split-belt treadmill. The walking task consisted of 2 times 3 minutes baseline walking, 10 minutes split-belt walking and 6 minutes post-adaptation walking. Ground reaction forces were recorded to determine stride time, relative double support time, relative stance and swing time. Bilateral surface electromyography (EMG) data were collected from 8 lower limb muscles to determine integrated EMG ratios and co-contraction indexes. All variables were compared between different phases (end baseline, early adaptation and late adaptation) and age groups (20-30 yr and 50-60 yr). Results showed that both age groups were able to change relative stance and swing time within a gait cycle during the adaptation phase. However it is not significant indicated, this adaptation strategy was less applied by middle-aged adults during early adaptation. Middle-aged adults did not differ from young adults in the use of strategies to create stability during the adaptation phase, because only a main effect of phase and not a main effect of age group was found in relative double support time and co-contraction. Additionally, lower limb muscle activity gave no more insight about changes in the ability of gait adaptation because both age groups were able to increase almost all the recorded muscles in early adaptation relative to baseline and to decrease the muscle activity in late adaptation relative to early adaptation. Keywords: aging, gait, adaptation, treadmill, muscle activity, electromyography
| Item Type: | Thesis (UNSPECIFIED) |
|---|---|
| Supervisor name: | Lamoth, dr. C.J.C. and Vervoort, D. |
| Faculty: | Medical Sciences |
| Date Deposited: | 11 May 2022 10:20 |
| Last Modified: | 11 May 2022 10:20 |
| URI: | https://umcg.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/3285 |
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