Gait & posture
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Turning is a common feature of daily life and dynamic coordination of the axial body segments is a cornerstone for safe and efficient turning. Although slow walking speed is a common trait of old age and neurological disorders, little is known about the effect of walking speed on axial coordination during walking turns. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of walking speed on axial coordination during walking turns in healthy elderly adults. ⋯ Reducing walking speed also led to a decrease in the amplitude and velocity of the axial rotation of the head and pelvis as well as a reduced head-pelvis separation and angular velocity. This study demonstrates that axial coordination during turning is speed dependent as evidenced by a more 'en bloc' movement pattern (i.e. less separation between axial segments) at reduced speeds in healthy older adults. This emphasizes the need for matching speed when comparing groups with diverse walking speeds to differentiate changes due to speed from changes due to disease.
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Concussion may affect females and males differentially. Identification of gender-related differences after concussion, therefore, may help clinicians with individualized evaluations. We examined potential differences in dual-task gait between females and males after concussion. ⋯ Females and males with concussion also walked with significantly shorter stride lengths than controls during single-task (females: 1.13±0.11m vs. 1.26±0.11m, p=0.001; males: 1.14±0.14m vs. 1.22±0.15m, p=0.04) and dual-task gait (females: 0.99±0.10m vs. 1.10±0.11m, p=0.001; males: 1.00±0.13m vs. 1.08±0.14m, p=0.04). Females demonstrated a significantly greater amount of cadence change between single-task and dual-task gait than males after a sport-related concussion. Thus, differential alterations may exist during gait among those with a concussion; gender may be one prominent factor affecting dual-task gait.