Advancing age progressively affects obstacle avoidance skills in the elderly
Advancing age progressively affects obstacle avoidance skills in the elderly
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DOI：
10.1016/j.humov.2005.10.013
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发表时间：
2005-10-01
影响因子：
2.1
通讯作者：
Duysens, J
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Weerdesteyn, V;Nienhuis, B;Duysens, J
在行走时充分避开障碍物的能力是一项重要的技能，可以在不平坦的地形上安全移动。老年人中与绊倒障碍物相关的高比例福尔斯跌倒潜在地说明了这种运动技能的年龄相关的退化。一些研究比较了年轻人和老年人，但对不同年龄组老年人的变化知之甚少。在本研究中，对25名年轻人（20-37岁）和99名老年人（65-89岁）的避障性能进行了研究。参与者以3 km/h的速度在跑步机上行走。在步行循环的各个阶段，将障碍物在左脚前方放置30次。计算成功率（成功避免），并与障碍物出现和估计的脚与障碍物接触的瞬间之间的可用时间（可用的响应时间或ART范围从200到超过350毫秒）。此外，回避反应的潜伏期、回避策略的选择（长或短步骤策略、LSS或SSS）。并为每个参与者确定与避障相关的三个空间参数（脚趾距离、脚间隙和脚跟距离）。与年轻人相比，老年人的成功率较低，特别是在短期ART中。此外，他们有更长的反应时间，更多的LSS反应，更小的脚趾和脚跟的距离，更大的脚间隙。在老年人组中，只有65-69奥尔兹的老年人与年轻人在成功率方面没有差异，尽管测量的其他参数发生了显著变化。特别是，与年轻人相比，即使是这个年轻的老年人群体也显示出SSS试验的数量急剧减少。总的来说，年龄是成功率，反应时间和脚趾距离的重要预测因素。这些参数随着年龄的增长而恶化。最后，在短期ART中，与没有跌倒或只有一次跌倒的老年参与者相比，在评估前6个月内持续反复福尔斯跌倒的老年参与者的回避成功率要差得多。运动计划已被证明可以提高回避成功率，特别是在短期ART中，但训练对成功决定因素的影响仍需评估。(c)2005 Elsevier B. V.保留所有权利。
The ability to adequately avoid obstacles while walking is an important skill that allows safe locomotion over uneven terrain. The high proportion of falls in the elderly that is associated to tripping over obstacles potentially illustrates an age-related deterioration of this locomotor skill. Some studies have compared young and old adults, but very little is known about the changes occurring within different age groups of elderly. In the present study, obstacle avoidance performance was studied in 25 young (20-37 years) and 99 older adults (65-89 years). The participants walked on a treadmill at a speed of 3 km/h. An obstacle was dropped 30 times in front of the left foot at various phases in the step cycle. Success rates (successful avoidance) were calculated and related to the time available between obstacle appearance and the estimated instant of foot contact with the obstacle (available response times or ARTs ranging from 200 to more than 350 ms). In addition, latencies of avoidance reactions, the choice of avoidance strategies (long or short step strategy, LSS or SSS). and three spatial parameters related to obstacle avoidance (toe distance, foot clearance, and heel distance) were determined for each participant. Compared to the young, the older adults had lower success rates, especially at short ARTs. Furthermore, they had longer reaction times, more LSS reactions, smaller toe and heel distances, and larger foot clearances. Within the group of elderly, only the 65-69 year olds were not different from young adults with respect to success rate, despite marked changes in the other parameters measured. In particular, even this younger group of elderly showed a dramatic reduction in the amount of SSS trials compared to young adults. Overall, age was a significant predictor of success rates, reaction times, and toe distances. These parameters deteriorated with advancing age. Finally, avoidance success rates at short ARTs were considerably worse in elderly participants who sustained recurrent falls in the six-month period prior to the assessment compared to those who sustained no or only one fall. An exercise program has been shown to improve avoidance success rates, especially at short ARTs, but the training effects on the determinants of success still need to be assessed. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.