Developmental Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway.
Gait Posture. 2012 Jul;36(3):523-6. doi: 10.1016/j.gaitpost.2012.05.017. Epub 2012 Jun 21.
Measurements from force plates were investigated to identify the life-span developmental course of dynamic balance control during gait initiation across adulthood. Center of pressure (CoP) data of the initial weight shift onto the supporting foot in the mediolateral (CoP(x)) direction were tauG analyzed, investigating the hypothesis that tau of the CoP(x) motion gap (τ(CoPx)) is tau-coupled onto an intrinsic tauG-guide (τ(G)), by maintaining the relation τ(CoPx)=Kτ(G), for a constant K. Participants were in their twenties, forties, sixties, and eighties. As regression analysis suggested a strong linear relationship between τ(CoPx) and τ(G), an investigation of the regression slope as an estimate of the coupling constant K in the tau-coupling equation was justified. Mean K values increased significantly with age from 0.40, 0.47, 0.67, to 0.79, suggesting that control of dynamic balance deteriorates from participants in their twenties making touch contact (K≤0.5) to participants in their sixties and eighties colliding with the boundaries of the base of support (K>0.5). The findings may prove useful as a measure for testing prospective balance control, a helpful tool for early detection of elderly people at increased risk of falling.
从力板上的测量结果可以看出，在成年期，步态起始时动态平衡控制的寿命发展过程。对初始负重脚在横向（CoP(x)）方向上的压力中心（CoP）数据进行 tauG 分析，验证了 CoP(x)运动间隙（τ(CoPx)）的 tau 与内在 tauG 指导（τ(G)）相 tau 耦合的假设，通过保持 τ(CoPx)=Kτ(G)的关系，其中 K 为常数。参与者年龄分别为二十多岁、四十多岁、六十多岁和八十多岁。由于回归分析表明 τ(CoPx)和 τ(G)之间存在很强的线性关系，因此可以对 tau 耦合方程中的回归斜率作为耦合常数 K 的估计进行研究。平均 K 值随年龄显著增加，从 0.40、0.47、0.67 增加到 0.79，表明动态平衡控制从二十多岁的参与者（K≤0.5）开始接触，到六十多岁和八十多岁的参与者与支撑基础边界碰撞（K>0.5）的参与者逐渐恶化。这些发现可能作为测试预期平衡控制的一种方法很有用，是早期发现有跌倒风险的老年人的有用工具。
