This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Brauer, S. G Articles by Burns, Y. R Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Brauer, S. G Articles by Burns, Y. R Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

The influence of preparedness on rapid stepping in young and older adults

Department of Physiotherapy, University of Queensland; Department of Physiotherapy, Princess Alexandra Hospital, St Lucia, Australia

Yvonne R Burns

Department of Physiotherapy, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Australia

Objective: To investigate the influence of age and preparation level on postural muscle activation and step completion time during a rapid step task.

Design: Postural muscle onset times (EMG) and ground reaction forces were recorded from healthy young (n = 20, age 21 ± 3 years) and older (n = 25, age 71 ± 5 years) female adults during a choice reaction-time stepping paradigm.

Main outcome measures: Onset times of six trunk and hip muscles, reaction time and components of the step (weight shift time, step time and task time) were recorded.

Results: Muscle activation was delayed and movement time was lengthened in both young and older adults when poorly prepared for a stepping task. While reduced preparation did not influence older adults to a greater extent than young adults, the slowest step response and completion time was evident in older adults when poorly prepared to move.

Conclusions: A late postural response when poorly prepared to move may be a contributing factor to an increased risk of overbalancing in older adults. Future assessment of and intervention to improve postural stability in older adults should be expanded to incorporate tasks performed at various levels of preparation.

Clinical Rehabilitation, Vol. 16, No. 7, 741-748 (2002)
DOI: 10.1191/0269215502cr548oa


CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?