Gait speed

Gait speed is an essential predictor of functional and cognitive decline in older adults. The study aimed to investigate the gait speed of older adults in Ghana and South Africa and to determine its associated factors, as the Sub-Saharan representatives in the World Health Organization's Study on Global AGEing in Older Adults (SAGE). A secondary analysis of data from the SAGE study which consists of nationally representative data involving participants aged ≥50+ years with smaller samples of younger adults aged 18-49 years in Ghana and South Africa was conducted...

BACKGROUND: Elastic band exercises can improve bone density, muscle quality, and body fat in elderly patients with Sarcopenic Obesity Syndrome (SOS), a common diagnosis. Encouraging this exercise can bring significant benefits. METHODS: We conducted a comprehensive search until April 1, 2023, covering UpToDate, PubMed, and Web of Science databases. The analysis focused on osteosarcopenic obesity and resistance training, involving four randomized controlled trials with 108 participants...

BACKGROUND: Spinometry is a radiation-free method to three-dimensional spine imaging that provides additional information about the functional gait patterns related to the pelvis and lower extremities. This radiation-free technology uses the surface topography of the trunk to analyze surface asymmetry and identify bony landmarks, thereby aiding the assessment of spinal deformity and supporting long-term treatment regimes. Especially reliable dynamic spinometric data for spine and pelvis are necessary to evaluate the management of non-specific back pain...

INTRODUCTION: Wearables are potentially valuable tools for understanding mobility behavior in individuals with neurological disorders and how it changes depending on health status, such as after rehabilitation. However, the accurate detection of gait events, which are crucial for the evaluation of gait performance and quality, is challenging due to highly individual-specific patterns that also vary greatly in movement and speed, especially after stroke. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to assess the accuracy, concurrent validity, and test-retest reliability of a commercially available insole system in the detection of gait events and the calculation of stance duration in individuals with chronic stroke...

Whole-body angular momentum (WBAM) represents the cancellations of angular momenta that are produced during a reciprocal gait pattern. WBAM is sensitive to small changes and is used to compare dynamic gait patterns under different walking conditions. Study designs and the normalization techniques used to define WBAM vary and make comparisons between studies difficult. To address this problem, WBAM about each anatomical axis of rotation from a healthy control population during normal gait were investigated within four metrics: 1) range of WBAM, 2) integrated WBAM, 3) statistical parametric mapping (SPM), and 4) principal component analysis (PCA)...

CONTEXT: Femoroacetabular impingement syndrome (FAIS) causes pain and functional limitations. Little is known regarding walking characteristics, volume and intensity evaluated in laboratory and free-living conditions and whether these measures differ between those with FAIS and uninjured individuals. OBJECTIVE: To examine the differences in laboratory gait measures and free-living step-based metrics between individuals with FAIS and uninjured control participants...

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to observe, using Footscan analysis, the effect of electromyographic feedback functional electrical stimulation (FES) on the changes in the plantar pressure of drop foot patients. METHODS: This case-control study enrolled 34 stroke patients with foot drop. There were 17 cases received FES for 20 min per day, 5 days per week for 4 weeks (the FES group) and the other 17 cases only received basic rehabilitations (the control group)...

BACKGROUND: Gait speed is often used to estimate the walking ability in daily life in people after stroke. While measuring gait with inertial measurement units (IMUs) during clinical assessment yields additional information, it remains unclear if this information can improve the estimation of the walking ability in daily life beyond gait speed. OBJECTIVE: We evaluated the additive value of IMU-based gait features over a simple gait-speed measurement in the estimation of walking ability in people after stroke...

INTRODUCTION: Individuals with cerebral palsy (CP) often present with altered motor control. This can be assessed selectively during sitting/lying with the Selective Control Assessment of the Lower Extremity (SCALE), or dynamically with the dynamic motor control index during walking (walk-DMC). Both approaches suggest that altered selective motor control relate to larger gait deviations. RESEARCH QUESTION: Does the walk-DMC provide valuable information in addition to the SCALE for estimating gait deviations in individuals with CP...

BACKGROUND: Haglund exostosis-related heel pain may be surgically treated with dorsal closing wedge calcaneal osteotomy (DCWCO). Recent reports on this technique show good clinical and self-reported outcomes. However, uncertainty about functional consequences related to ankle muscle strength and gait function due to a shortened Achilles tendon lever arm exists. METHODS: Fifteen patients (15 feet) with Haglund exostosis-related heel pain were surgically treated with DCWCO and evaluated before and 1 year after surgery...

This study aimed to establish the relationship between the appendicular muscle mass index (AMMI), assessed from anthropometric variables, and the physical function of older people. Seventy-six older people participated in this study (72.03 ± 7.03 years). The participants underwent evaluations to determine their AMMI using anthropometry (weight, calf circumference, hip circumference, and knee height) and manual grip strength. Additionally, their physical function was evaluated using the 5-chair stand test, the 3-meter walk test, and the timed up and go test (TUG) to determine the strength of the lower limbs, the gait speed, and the dynamic balance, respectively...

Insects exhibit remarkable adaptability in their locomotive strategies across diverse environments, a crucial trait for foraging, survival, and predator avoidance. Microvelia , tiny 2-3 mm insects that adeptly walk on water surfaces, exemplify this adaptability by using the alternating tripod gait in both aquatic and terrestrial terrains. These insects commonly inhabit low-flow ponds and streams cluttered with natural debris like leaves, twigs, and duckweed. Using high-speed imaging and pose-estimation software, we analyze Microvelia spp ...

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association between acute-phase gait speed and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) at 3 and 12 months post-stroke. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. SUBJECTS/PATIENTS: 1,475 patients with first-ever ischaemic stroke. METHODS: The patients were divided into 3 groups according to tertiles of gait speed, namely ≤0.8, 0.8-1.1, ≥1.1 m/s. Gait speed was assessed by the 10-m walking test within 2 weeks of hospitalization for acute stroke and before the rehabilitation programme...

Intrinsic capacity(IC) is a measure of physical, cognitive, vitality, psychological, and sensory abilities which determines functional ability. Decline in IC has been shown to accelerate the trajectory of frailty. We aim to show the impact of exercise (Ex) and cognitive stimulation therapy (CST) on (i) IC domains and composite score (ii) frailty and functional ability in pre-frail older adults. Secondary analysis of data from a pre-post intervention study of pre-frail older adults ≥ 65 years attending primary care clinic...

OBJECTIVES: Metformin protects against age-related muscle decline, termed sarcopenia. However, the effects on sarcopenia quality-of-life (SarQoL) are unknown. We investigated the effects of metformin on SarQoL and associated mechanisms in older adults. METHOD: This double-blind randomized, placebo-controlled trial included geriatric adult men, divided into non-sarcopenic controls (age = 72.2 ± 4.3 years, n = 52) and two groups of patients with sarcopenia randomized into placebo (age at baseline = 74...

BACKGROUND: Spatio-temporal running parameters and their variability help to determine a runner's running style. However, determining whether a change is due to the measurement or to a specific condition such as an injury is a matter of debate, as no recommendation on the number of steps required to obtain reliable assessments exists. RESEARCH QUESTION: What is the optimal number of steps required to measure different spatio-temporal parameters and study their variability at different running speeds? METHODS: Twenty-five runners performed three experimental sessions of three bouts of treadmill running at 8, 10 and 12 km/h separated by 24 h...

BACKGROUND: Approaches to gait analysis are evolving rapidly and now include a wide range of options: from e-patches to video platforms to wearable inertial measurement unit systems. Newer options for gait analysis are generally more inclusive for the assessment of children, more cost effective and easier to administer. However, there is limited data on the comparability of newer systems with more established traditional approaches in young children. RESEARCH QUESTION: To determine comparability between the Physilog®5 wearable inertial sensor and GAITRite® electronic walkway for spatiotemporal (stride length, time and velocity, cadence) and relative phase (double support time, stance, swing, loading, foot flat and push off) data in young children...

BACKGROUND: Lower skeletal muscle mitochondrial function is associated with future cognitive impairment and mobility decline, but the biological underpinnings for these associations are unclear. We examined metabolomic markers underlying skeletal muscle mitochondrial function, cognition and motor function. METHODS: We analysed data from 560 participants from the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging (mean age: 68.4 years, 56% women, 28% Black) who had data on skeletal muscle oxidative capacity (post-exercise recovery rate of phosphocreatine, kPCr) via 31P magnetic resonance spectroscopy and targeted plasma metabolomics using LASSO model...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Gait disorders stemming from brain lesions or chemical imbalances, pose significant challenges for patients. Proposed treatments encompass medication, deep brain stimulation, physiotherapy, and visual stimulation. Music, with its harmonious structures, serves as a continuous reference, synchronizing muscle activities through neural connections between hearing and motor functions, can show promise in gait disorder management. This study explores the influence of heightened music rhythm on young healthy participants' gait cadence in three conditions: FeedForward (independent rhythm), FeedBack (cadence-synced rhythm), and Adaptive (cadence-controlled musical experience)...

Managing clinical manifestations of cancer/treatment burden on functional status and quality of life remains paramount across the cancer trajectory, particularly for patients with cachexia who display reduced functional capacity. However, clinically relevant criteria for classifying functional impairment at a single point in time or for classifying meaningful functional changes subsequent to disease and/or treatment progression are lacking. This unmet clinical need remains a major obstacle to the development of therapies for cancer cachexia...