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Karasawa S1, Momose K2, Aruga I3, Sue K4
1Fujimori Hospital, Department of Rehabilitation, Matusmoto, Japan, 2Shinshu Univerity, Department of Physical Therapy, Shinshu University School of Health Sciences, Matusmoto, Japan, 3Matsumoto Medical Center, Department of Rehabilitation, Matusmoto, Japan, 4Kakeyu-Misayama Rehabilitation Center, Department of Rehabilitation, Ueda, Japan
Background: The variability of trunk movement during gait can be regarded as an index of gait stability. Also, asymmetry of gait is a characteristic of with neurological and musculoskeletal diseases, and it is an important index for judging the effect of treatment intervention and monitoring the recovery process. Recently, the utility of evaluating the regularity (variability) and symmetry of gait has been reported based on the unbiased autocorrelation coefficients (AC) of trunk acceleration during gait. However, since studies targeting healthy adults are limited, reference values are not available.
Purpose: The main purpose of this study is to obtain reference data of the unbiased AC in healthy adults for application to clinical setting. Secondly, the influence of age and gender on gait regularity and symmetry will also be investigated.
Methods: One hundred and eighty-eight community-dwelling healthy adults and elderly subjects aged 20 years or older (102 females, 88 males) participated in this study. Each participant was categorized into seven groups by age (decade) and gender. The participants walked 10 m at their preferred speed. Wireless motion recording sensor units were attached to L3 spinous process during gait. Trunk variability was represented by the unbiased AC in three directions (vertical, VT; mediolateral, ML; and anteroposterior, AP), respectively. Gait speed, step regularity, stride regularity and gait symmetry were evaluated on the unbiased AC of trunk accelerations, and these gait parameters were compared between age and gender groups.
Results: Step regularity and stride regularity showed approximate values in AP and VT directions, while it showed lower values in ML direction for both genders. In both genders the step regularity and stride regularity in the three directions showed a significant negative trend across the age groups using the Jonckheere-Terpstra trend test: step regularity in AP (P=0.031), ML (P 0.001) and VT (P=0.002) directions in males; step regularity in AP (P=0.007), ML (P 0.006) and VT (P=0.002) directions in females; stride regularity in AP (P=0.001), ML (P 0.001) and VT (P=0.003) directions in males; stride regularity in AP (P=0.006), ML (P=0.001) and VT (P=0.016) directions in females. There was no significant trend in gait symmetry across the age groups.
Conclusion(s): The unbiased AC obtained from the participants of this study according to age and gender was similar to previous studies. Therefore, it can be used as reference data with respect to the unbiased AC for age and gender which has not been clarified previously. Step regularity and stride regularity showed a tendency to decline with age in both males and females, while gait symmetry did not show significant differences between age. Gait symmetry is not affected by age in healthy adults who do not suffer from neurological or musculoskeletal diseases.
Implications: The results can be used as reference data for healthy adults and elderly subjects to be used in clinical practice and research.
Keywords: Unbiased autocorrelation, accelerometer, gait regularity
Funding acknowledgements: Nil.
Purpose: The main purpose of this study is to obtain reference data of the unbiased AC in healthy adults for application to clinical setting. Secondly, the influence of age and gender on gait regularity and symmetry will also be investigated.
Methods: One hundred and eighty-eight community-dwelling healthy adults and elderly subjects aged 20 years or older (102 females, 88 males) participated in this study. Each participant was categorized into seven groups by age (decade) and gender. The participants walked 10 m at their preferred speed. Wireless motion recording sensor units were attached to L3 spinous process during gait. Trunk variability was represented by the unbiased AC in three directions (vertical, VT; mediolateral, ML; and anteroposterior, AP), respectively. Gait speed, step regularity, stride regularity and gait symmetry were evaluated on the unbiased AC of trunk accelerations, and these gait parameters were compared between age and gender groups.
Results: Step regularity and stride regularity showed approximate values in AP and VT directions, while it showed lower values in ML direction for both genders. In both genders the step regularity and stride regularity in the three directions showed a significant negative trend across the age groups using the Jonckheere-Terpstra trend test: step regularity in AP (P=0.031), ML (P 0.001) and VT (P=0.002) directions in males; step regularity in AP (P=0.007), ML (P 0.006) and VT (P=0.002) directions in females; stride regularity in AP (P=0.001), ML (P 0.001) and VT (P=0.003) directions in males; stride regularity in AP (P=0.006), ML (P=0.001) and VT (P=0.016) directions in females. There was no significant trend in gait symmetry across the age groups.
Conclusion(s): The unbiased AC obtained from the participants of this study according to age and gender was similar to previous studies. Therefore, it can be used as reference data with respect to the unbiased AC for age and gender which has not been clarified previously. Step regularity and stride regularity showed a tendency to decline with age in both males and females, while gait symmetry did not show significant differences between age. Gait symmetry is not affected by age in healthy adults who do not suffer from neurological or musculoskeletal diseases.
Implications: The results can be used as reference data for healthy adults and elderly subjects to be used in clinical practice and research.
Keywords: Unbiased autocorrelation, accelerometer, gait regularity
Funding acknowledgements: Nil.
Topic: Human movement analysis; Outcome measurement; Research methodology & knowledge translation
Ethics approval required: Yes
Institution: Shinshu University School of Medicine
Ethics committee: the committee for medical ethics
Ethics number: 3474
All authors, affiliations and abstracts have been published as submitted.
