Evaluation of toe function based on the plantar pressure distribution while walking and its relationships with general gait parameters.

The foot is an important part of the human body that helps to maintain and shift a person's center of gravity. The roles of the toes in balancing and walking have been the focus of recent research. However, there are few methods or systems that can be used to quantitatively evaluate toe function while walking with respect to aging.

Public awareness and knowledge of stuttering in Japan.

Purpose: To determine laypeople's knowledge and awareness of stuttering in Japan.

Methods: A total of 303 respondents, recruited by street sampling, completed a questionnaire assessing the prevalence, onset, gender distribution, occurrence in different races, cause, treatment, association with intelligence, and hereditariness of stuttering. The questionnaire used was a Japanese version of that devised by Van Borsel, Verniers, and Bouvry (1999) for use in Belgium.

Development of an evaluation system for foot arch types in the elderly using foot pressure distribution data.

The foot arch serves important functions related to shock absorption and the action of walking. Simple and quantitative classifications of foot arch types, such as flat feet and high arches, help to provide health support services for the elderly. To develop an evaluation system for foot arch types using foot pressure distribution data, discriminant analyses were conducted using data from healthy elderly persons.

Analysis of foot pressure distribution data for the evaluation of foot arch type.

In order to develop an evaluation system for foot arch type in the elderly using foot pressure distribution data, foot pressure distribution parameters were selected and the data thereby derived were discussed. Results from the study show that the midfoot area and pressure ratios were correlated to foot arch type determined by visual analysis and were not correlated to arch height parameters. It is assumed that foot pressure distribution parameters reflect a different phenomenon from that of arch height parameters.