Measurement of Gait and Postural Control in Aging

Abstract

Proper gait and postural stability are important factors for maintaining quality of life and performing activities of daily living with ease in older adults. Dysfunction with these motor abilities may increase the risk of falls and lead to more frequent hospitalizations. To assess gait and posture in the aging population, the appropriate variables need to be identified first. The tools and equipment to measure these variables can then be determined. For example, spatiotemporal parameters can be used to characterize gait. To quantify these parameters, timing mats, wearable inertial sensors, motion capture, force plates, and optical sensors may be used. Motion capture and force plates can also be used to measure the kinematics and kinetics of gait. To assess posture, body-worn sensors, force plates, and other specialized equipment can be used to determine acceleration patterns of the torso, center-of-pressure kinematics, or a combination of the two, respectively. Validated clinical assessments, including questionnaires and ordinal scales, can be used to further characterize gait, posture, and balance in older adults. Finally, data analysis strategies, often combined with validated tools and equipment, can be implemented in an attempt to further describe the underlying mechanisms of gait and postural control. These strategies include power spectral analysis, principal component analysis, gait variability, stabilogram-diffusion analysis, and the pinned-polymer model and fluctuation-dissipation theorem applied to postural control. With this information, the healthcare practitioner may be more aware of the measurement tools and strategies to monitor changes in gait and posture in the aging population.