Abstract
Daily life activities often require humans to perform locomotion in challenging scenarios. In this context, this study aimed at investigating the effects induced by anterior-posterior (AP) and medio-lateral (ML) perturbations on walking. Through this aim, the experimental protocol involved 12 participants who performed three tasks on a treadmill consisting of one unperturbed and two perturbed walking tests. Inertial measurement units were used to gather lower limb kinematics. Parameters related to joint angles, as the range of motion (ROM) and its variability (CoV), as well as the inter-joint coordination in terms of continuous relative phase (CRP) were computed. The AP perturbation seemed to be more challenging causing differences with respect to normal walking in both the variability of the ROM and the CRP amplitude and variability. As ML, only the ankle showed different behavior in terms of joint angle and CRP variability. In both tasks, a shortening of the stance was found. The findings should be considered when implementing perturbed rehabilitative protocols for falling reduction.
Highlights
Humans have to constantly deal with the challenge to adapt their gait to several environmental conditions; one of the main roles of the central nervous system (CNS) is to assure the maintenance of dynamic stability during locomotion on different types of surfaces [1]
Even though a direct comparison with previous studies could not be conducted due to the absence in the literature of kinematic analysis related to a similar protocol, we can affirm that the physiological kinematic patterns highlighted by the outcomes are consistent with the findings of studies based on the analysis of muscular activity in the same challenging scenarios, especially considering the anticipation found for the lower limb muscle activation [39]
Understanding how the central nervous system modifies the gait patterns in response to external perturbation of locomotion can lead to useful information for implementing perturbation rehabilitative programs, as well designing control systems for exoskeletons to use in daily life
Summary
Humans have to constantly deal with the challenge to adapt their gait to several environmental conditions; one of the main roles of the central nervous system (CNS) is to assure the maintenance of dynamic stability during locomotion on different types of surfaces [1]. The ability to correctly respond to a balance perturbation determines whether or not a fall occurs, and it is shown that this ability can be deteriorated as a consequence of CNS changes and/or muscle properties [5,6]. In this context, perturbation-based gait paradigms have reached greater popularity for the measurement of dysfunctions, diseases, or injuries [7,8,9]. Based on the tested population, perturbations of different natures have been used, ranging from cognitive [10]
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