scholarly journals The effects of different frequencies of rhythmic acoustic stimulation on gait stability in healthy elderly individuals: a pilot study

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Roberta Minino ◽  
Emahnuel Troisi Lopez ◽  
Pierpaolo Sorrentino ◽  
Rosaria Rucco ◽  
Anna Lardone ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pilot Study ◽  
Gait Cycle ◽  
Acoustic Stimulation ◽  
Cycle Duration ◽  
Fixed Frequency ◽  
Elderly Individuals ◽  
Healthy Elderly ◽  
Gait Parameters ◽  
Subject Specific ◽  
Trunk Sway

AbstractThe efficacy of rhythmic acoustic stimulation (RAS) to improve gait and balance in healthy elderly individuals is controversial. Our aim was to investigate, through 3D gait analysis, the effect of different types of RAS (fixed frequency and based on subject-specific cadence), using conventional gait parameters and the trunk displacement as readouts. Walking at a fixed frequency of 80 bpm, the subjects showed extended duration of gait cycle and increased gait variability while the same individuals, walking at a fixed frequency of 120 bpm, showed reduced trunk sway and gait cycle duration. With regard to the RAS at subject-specific frequencies, walking at 90% of the subject-specific average cadence did not significantly modify the gait parameters, except for the speed, which was reduced. In contrast, walking at 100% and 110% of the mean cadence caused increased stride length and a slight reduction of temporal parameters and trunk sway. In conclusion, this pilot study shows that using RAS at fixed frequencies might be an inappropriate strategy, as it is not adjusted to individual gait characteristics. On the other hand, RAS frequencies equal to or slightly higher than each subject's natural cadence seem to be beneficial for gait and stability.

scholarly journals The effects of different frequencies of rhythmic acoustic stimulation on gait kinematics and trunk sway in healthy elderly population

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roberta Minino ◽  
Emahnuel Troisi Lopez ◽  
Pierpaolo Sorrentino ◽  
Rosaria Rucco ◽  
Anna Lardone ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Acoustic Stimulation ◽  
Elderly Subjects ◽  
Low Frequencies ◽  
Healthy Elderly ◽  
Gait Kinematics ◽  
Trunk Sway ◽  
Spatio Temporal ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Harmful Effects ◽  
Healthy Elderly Subjects

ABSTRACTThe use of rhythmic acoustic stimulation (RAS) in improving gait and balance in healthy elderly subjects has been widely investigated. However, methodologies and results are often controversial. In this study, we hypothesize that both the kinematic features of gait and stability, depend on the frequency at which RAS is administered. Our aim was to observe, through 3D Gait Analysis, the effect of different types of RAS (at a fixed frequency or based on the average cadence of each subject) on both gait spatio-temporal parameters and stability. The latter was estimated through an innovative measure, the trunk displacement index (TDI) that we have recently implemented. We observed that the low frequencies RAS led to a general slowdown of gait, which did not provide any clear benefit and produced harmful effects on stability when the frequency became too low compared to the individual natural frequency. On the contrary, the high frequencies of RAS showed a slight acceleration of gait, accompanied by better stability (as documented by a lower TDI value), regardless of the type of RAS. Finally, the RAS equal to the individual natural cadence also produced an increase in stability.

scholarly journals Genomic instability in a healthy elderly population: a pilot study of possible cytogenetic markers related to ageing

Mutagenesis ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 25 (5) ◽  
pp. 455-462 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Mladinic ◽  
N. Kopjar ◽  
M. Milic ◽  
A. Buljevic Dasovic ◽  
M. Huzak ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pilot Study ◽  
Genomic Instability ◽  
Elderly Population ◽  
Healthy Elderly

scholarly journals Assessment of Selected Spatio-Temporal Gait Parameters on Subjects with Pronated Foot Posture on the Basis of Measurements Using OptoGait. A Case-Control Study

Sensors ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (8) ◽  
pp. 2805
Author(s):  
Inmaculada Requelo-Rodríguez ◽  
Aurora Castro-Méndez ◽  
Ana María Jiménez-Cebrián ◽  
María Luisa González-Elena ◽  
Inmaculada C. Palomo-Toucedo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gait Cycle ◽  
Population Aging ◽  
Adult Population ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Cycle Duration ◽  
Foot Posture ◽  
Complex Control System ◽  
Risk Of Falls ◽  
Spatio Temporal ◽  
Asymptomatic Subjects

Walking is part of daily life and in asymptomatic subjects it is relatively easy. The physiology of walking is complex and when this complex control system fails, the risk of falls increases. As a result, gait disorders have a major impact on the older adult population and have increased in frequency as a result of population aging. Therefore, the OptoGait sensor is intended to identify gait imbalances in pronating feet to try to prevent falling and injury by compensating for it with treatments that normalize such alteration. This study is intended to assess whether spatiotemporal alterations occur in the gait cycle in a young pronating population (cases) compared to a control group (non-pronating patients) analyzed with OptoGait. Method: a total of n = 142 participants consisting of n = 70 cases (pronators) and n = 72 healthy controls were studied by means of a 30 s treadmill program with a system of 96 OptoGait LED sensors. Results: Significant differences were found between the two groups and both feet in stride length and stride time, gait cycle duration and gait cadence (in all cases p < 0.05). Conclusions: pronating foot posture alters normal gait patterns measured by OptoGait; this finding presents imbalance in gait as an underlying factor. Prevention of this alteration could be considered in relation to its relationship to the risk of falling in future investigations.

scholarly journals Impaired abstract thinking may discriminate between normal aging and vascular mild cognitive impairment

2010 ◽  
Vol 68 (2) ◽  
pp. 179-184 ◽  
Author(s):  
Felipe Kenji Sudo ◽  
Gilberto Sousa Alves ◽  
Carlos Eduardo de Oliveira Alves ◽  
Maria Elisa Lanna ◽  
Letice Ericeira-Valente ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Mild Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Cerebrovascular Disease ◽  
Cognitive Deficits ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Abstract Thinking ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Elderly Individuals ◽  
Healthy Elderly

OBJECTIVE: Cerebrovascular disease (CVD) is associated with cognitive deficits. This cross-sectional study examines differences among healthy elderly controls and patients with vascular mild cognitive impairment (VaMCI) and vascular dementia (VaD) in performances on CAMCOG subscales. METHOD: Elderly individuals (n=61) were divided into 3 groups, according to cognitive and neuroimaging status: 16 controls, 20 VaMCI and 25 VaD. VaMCI and VaD individuals scored over 4 points on the Hachinski Ischemic Scale. RESULTS: Significant differences in total CAMCOG scores were observed across the three groups (p<0.001). VaD subjects performed worse than those with VaMCI in most CAMCOG subscales (p<0.001). All subscales showed differences between controls and VaD (p<0.001). Performance on abstract thinking showed difference between VaMCI and controls (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: CAMCOG discriminated controls from VaMCI and VaD. Assessment of abstract thinking may be useful as a screening item for diagnosis of VaMCI.

scholarly journals A pilot study of the effects of acupuncture treatment on objective and subjective gait parameters in horses

2017 ◽  
Vol 44 (1) ◽  
pp. 154-162 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bettina Dunkel ◽  
Thilo Pfau ◽  
Andrew Fiske-Jackson ◽  
Kata O. Veres-Nyeki ◽  
Harriet Fairhurst ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pilot Study ◽  
Acupuncture Treatment ◽  
Gait Parameters

Changes in Spatiotemporal Measures and Variability During User-Driven Treadmill, Fixed-Speed Treadmill, and Overground Walking in Young Adults: A Pilot Study

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-5
Author(s):  
Hillary H. Holmes ◽  
Randall T. Fawcett ◽  
Jaimie A. Roper
Keyword(s):  
Young Adults ◽  
Motor Control ◽  
Pilot Study ◽  
Human Health ◽  
Gait Cycle ◽  
Walking Speed ◽  
Treadmill Walking ◽  
Overground Walking ◽  
Control Patterns ◽  
Integral Indicator

Walking is an integral indicator of human health commonly investigated while walking overground and with the use of a treadmill. Unlike fixed-speed treadmills, overground walking is dependent on the preferred walking speed under the individuals’ control. Thus, user-driven treadmills may have the ability to better simulate the characteristics of overground walking. This pilot study is the first investigation to compare a user-driven treadmill, a fixed-speed treadmill, and overground walking to understand differences in variability and mean spatiotemporal measures across walking environments. Participants walked fastest overground compared to both fixed and user-driven treadmill conditions. However, gait cycle speed variability in the fixed-speed treadmill condition was significantly lower than the user-driven and overground conditions, with no significant differences present between overground and user-driven treadmill walking. The lack of differences in variability between the user-driven treadmill and overground walking may indicate that the user-driven treadmill can better simulate the variability of overground walking, potentially leading to more natural adaptation and motor control patterns of walking.

scholarly journals Medically actionable pathogenic variants in a population of 13,131 healthy elderly individuals

2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (11) ◽  
pp. 1883-1886 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul Lacaze ◽  
Robert Sebra ◽  
Moeen Riaz ◽  
Jane Tiller ◽  
Jerico Revote ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Elderly Individuals ◽  
Healthy Elderly ◽  
Pathogenic Variants

scholarly journals Rhythmic neural activity is comodulated with short-term gait modifications during first-time use of a dummy prosthesis: a pilot study

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Vera G. M. Kooiman ◽  
Helco G. van Keeken ◽  
Natasha M. Maurits ◽  
Vivian Weerdesteyn ◽  
Teodoro Solis-Escalante
Keyword(s):  
Time Use ◽  
Ground Reaction Force ◽  
Gait Cycle ◽  
Reaction Force ◽  
Swing Phase ◽  
Experimental Session ◽  
Cycle Duration ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Gamma Rhythms ◽  
First Time

Abstract Background After transfemoral amputation, many hours of practice are needed to re-learn walking with a prosthesis. The long adaptation process that consolidates a novel gait pattern seems to depend on cerebellar function for reinforcement of specific gait modifications, but the precise, step-by-step gait modifications (e.g., foot placement) most likely rely on top-down commands from the brainstem and cerebral cortex. The aim of this study was to identify, in able-bodied individuals, the specific modulations of cortical rhythms that accompany short-term gait modifications during first-time use of a dummy prosthesis. Methods Fourteen naïve participants walked on a treadmill without (one block, 4 min) and with a dummy prosthesis (three blocks, 3 × 4 min), while ground reaction forces and 32-channel EEG were recorded. Gait cycle duration, stance phase duration, step width, maximal ground reaction force and, ground reaction force trace over time were measured to identify gait modifications. Independent component analysis of EEG data isolated brain-related activity from distinct anatomical sources. The source-level data were segmented into gait cycles and analyzed in the time–frequency domain to reveal relative enhancement or suppression of intrinsic cortical oscillations. Differences between walking conditions were evaluated with one-way ANOVA and post-hoc testing (α = 0.05). Results Immediate modifications occurred in the gait parameters when participants were introduced to the dummy prosthesis. Except for gait cycle duration, these modifications remained throughout the duration of the experimental session. Power modulations of the theta, mu, beta, and gamma rhythms, of sources presumably from the fronto-central and the parietal cortices, were found across the experimental session. Significant power modulations of the theta, beta, and gamma rhythms within the gait cycle were predominately found around the heel strike of both feet and the swing phase of the right (prosthetic) leg. Conclusions The modulations of cortical activity could be related to whole-body coordination, including the swing phase and placing of the prosthesis, and the bodyweight transfer between legs and arms. Reduced power modulation of the gamma rhythm within the experimental session may indicate initial motor memories being formed. Better understanding of the sensorimotor processes behind gait modifications may inform the development of neurofeedback strategies to assist gait rehabilitation.

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