A simple model of stability limits applied to sidestepping in young, elderly and elderly fallers.

Impaired lateral balance involving the frontal plane is particularly relevant to the problem of falls with aging. Protective stepping is critical to avoiding falling, and medio-lateral (M-L) stepping involves two quite complicated action choices -- lateral side step and crossover stepping. The aims of this study were to identify differences in movement patterns between young healthy subjects and elderly fallers and non-fallers (determined prospectively over a year), and to identify performance differences for the two types of stepping response.

Age-related changes in hip abductor and adductor joint torques.

Objective: To test the hypothesis that older age significantly affects hip abduction and adduction joint torque-time generating capability in women.

Design: Cross-sectional study, wherein subjects were tested in a supported standing position.

Setting: University human performance laboratory.

Triggering of protective stepping for the control of human balance: age and contextual dependence.

Human stepping is a commonly executed control strategy for maintaining standing balance in the natural environment. Aging changes in the initiation triggering of both voluntary (longer latency) and perturbation-induced (shorter latency) stepping are associated with falling, and are a complex function of altered sensorimotor, neuromuscular, and cognitive system factors. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of contextual uncertainty about balance stability on the triggering of protective stepping in young and older individuals.

Step training improves the speed of voluntary step initiation in aging.

Background: Falls related to balance dysfunction are among the major problems of older individuals. The timing characteristics of protective voluntary stepping are critically related to effective balance recovery and are often delayed and slowed with age. This study investigated the influence of step training on the timing characteristics of voluntary step initiation in younger and older adults.