Changes to margins of stability from walking to obstacle crossing in older adults while walking fast and with a dual-task.

It is not well understood how older adults meet the combined locomotor demands of obstacle avoidance at fast speeds as compared to obstacle avoidance under cognitive loads. The purpose of this study was to quantify changes in locomotor stability (margin of stability, MOS) from walking to crossing obstacles at fast speeds versus with added cognitive demands in older adults. Community-dwelling older adults walked on an unobstructed and obstructed path at their preferred speed (preferred); during a dualtask (verbal fluency); and at their 'fastest comfortable' speed (fast).

Persons with Parkinson's disease show impaired interlimb coordination during backward walking.

Introduction: Although there is growing literature supporting the implementation of backward walking as a potential rehabilitation tool, moving backwards may precipitate falls for persons with Parkinson's disease. We sought to better understand interlimb coordination during backward walking in comparison to forward walking in persons with Parkinson's disease and healthy controls.

Methods: We assessed coordination using point estimate of relative phase at each participant's preferred walking speed.

Upper and Lower Limb Movement Kinematics in Aging Gene Premutation Carriers.

Fragile X-associated tremor/ataxia syndrome (FXTAS) is a neurodegenerative disorder associated with a premutation cytosine-guanine-guanine (CGG) trinucleotide repeat expansion of the gene. FXTAS is estimated to be the most common single-gene form of ataxia in the aging population. Gait ataxia and intention tremor are the primary behavioral symptoms of FXTAS, though clinical evaluation of these symptoms often is subjective, contributing to difficulties in reliably differentiating individuals with FXTAS and asymptomatic premutation carriers.

Higher relative effort of the knee relates to faster adaptation in older adults at risk for mobility disability.

Gait adaptation is crucial for adults at risk for mobility disability, and executive function and physical function may be important for adaptation performance. Gait adaptation can be measured using a treadmill with two belts, known as a split-belt treadmill. Increasing evidence supports that gait adaptability, executive function, and physical function are interrelated in older adults.

Older women take shorter steps during backwards walking and obstacle crossing.

Background: Community ambulation requires the ability to adapt walking patterns to task demands. For example, complex walking tasks, such as obstacle crossing (OBS) and backwards walking (BW), require modification of gait kinematics to complete the task, maintain stability and prevent falling. More women than men fall each year, but few studies have investigated gender differences in performance of adaptive walking tasks.

Spatiotemporal gait parameters and tremor distribution in essential tremor.

Background: Essential Tremor is characterized by an action tremor of the upper extremities, which may or may not be accompanied by a head, voice, leg or trunk tremor. Problems with gait and balance have also been identified in persons with Essential Tremor. Therefore, understanding gait performance is an important area of focus for clinicians and researchers.

Walking through the looking glass: Adapting gait patterns with mirror feedback.

Clinical locomotor research seeks to facilitate adaptation or retention of new walking patterns by providing feedback. Within a split-belt treadmill paradigm, sagittal plane feedback improves adaptation but does not affect retention. Representation of error in this manner is cognitively demanding.

A pilot trial of square biphasic pulse deep brain stimulation for dystonia: The BIP dystonia study.

Background: Dystonia often has inconsistent benefits and requires more energy-demanding DBS settings. Studies suggest that squared biphasic pulses could provide significant clinical benefit; however, dystonia patients have not been explored.

Objectives: To assess safety and tolerability of square biphasic DBS in dystonia patients.

Split-Belt Treadmill Walking Alters Lower Extremity Frontal Plane Mechanics.

Interventions that manipulate gait speed may also affect the control of frontal plane mechanics. Expanding the current knowledge of frontal plane adaptations during split-belt treadmill walking could advance our understanding of the influence of asymmetries in gait speed on frontal plane mechanics and provide insight into the breadth of adaptations required by split-belt walking (SBW). Thirteen young, healthy participants, free from lower extremity injury walked on a split-belt treadmill with belts moving simultaneously at different speeds.

Perception of symmetry and asymmetry in individuals with anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction.

Background: Changes in the quantity, quality and integration of sensory information are thought to persist long after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction and completion of physical therapy. Our purpose was to investigate the ability of individuals with anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction to perceive imposed asymmetry and symmetry while walking.

Methods: Twenty participants with anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction and 20 controls walked on a split-belt treadmill while we assessed the ability to detect symmetry and asymmetry at fast and slow speeds.

Adaptation Strategies of Individuals With Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction.

Background: Despite the strong implications for rehabilitation design, the capability of individuals with anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) to adapt and store novel gait patterns have not been well studied.

Purpose: To investigate how reconstructive surgery may affect the ability to adapt and store novel gait patterns in persons with ACLR while walking on a split-belt treadmill.

Study Design: Controlled laboratory study.