Journal of biomechanics
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Journal of biomechanics · Dec 2019
Complexity, symmetry and variability of forward and backward walking at different speeds and transfer effects on forward walking: Implications for neural control.
This study aimed to investigate effects of walking direction and speed on gait complexity, symmetry and variability as indicators of neural control mechanisms, and if a period of backward walking has acute effects on forward walking. Twenty-two young adults attended 2 visits. In each visit participants walked forwards at preferred walking speed (PWS) for 3-minutes (pre) followed by 5-minutes walking each at 80%, 100% and 120% of PWS of either forward or backward walking then a further 3-minutes walking forward at PWS (post). ⋯ No effects were found for harmonic ratio. These results suggest during backward walking trunk motion is rigidly controlled but central pattern generators responsible for temporal gait patterns are less refined for backward walking. However, in both directions complexity increased as speed increased suggesting additional constraint of trunk motion, normally characterised by reduced complexity, is not applied as speed increases.