College of Kinesiology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada.
College of Kinesiology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada.
Hum Mov Sci. 2019 Oct;67:102495. doi: 10.1016/j.humov.2019.102495. Epub 2019 Jul 18.
Adding haptic input by lightly touching a railing or using haptic anchors may improve walking balance control. Typical use of the railing(s) and haptic anchors requires the use of one and two arms in an extended position, respectively. It is unclear whether it is arm configuration and/or the number of arms used or the addition of sensory input that affects walking balance control.
This study examined whether using one arm or two arms to add haptic input through light touch on a railing or using the haptic anchors affects walking balance control.
In this study, young adults (n = 24) walked while using (actual use) or pretending to use (pretend use) the railing(s) and haptic anchors with one or two arms. Inertial-based sensors (Mobility Lab, APDM) were used to measure stride velocity, relative time spent in double support (%DS), and peak normalized medio-lateral trunk velocity (pnMLTV).
Using two arms lead to a decrease in pnMLTV compared to using one arm and pnMLTV was lower in the actual use trials compared to the pretend use trials for the anchors only. Stride velocity and %DS did not change between trials when one or two arms were used or when participants actually or pretended to use the haptic tools. Participants walked slower when using the railing compared to the anchors.
The importance of considering the number of arms is highlighted in the improved balance control when using two arms with either tool. The augmented sensory input adds to the stabilizing effect of arm configuration for the anchors but not the railings. These results have implications for future research and rehabilitation efforts emphasizing sensorimotor integration to improve walking balance control.
轻轻触摸栏杆或使用触觉锚定点来增加触觉输入，可以改善步行平衡控制。典型的栏杆和触觉锚定点使用方式分别需要手臂伸展到一个和两个位置。目前尚不清楚影响步行平衡控制的是手臂配置和/或使用手臂的数量，还是增加的感官输入。
本研究通过比较使用单臂或双臂轻触栏杆或使用触觉锚定点来增加触觉输入，来探究使用单臂或双臂对步行平衡控制的影响。
在这项研究中，年轻成年人（n=24）在使用（实际使用）或假装使用（假装使用）单臂或双臂栏杆和触觉锚定点时进行行走。惯性传感器（Mobility Lab，APDM）用于测量步速、双支撑时间百分比（%DS）和峰值归一化中侧躯干速度（pnMLTV）。
与使用单臂相比，使用双臂导致 pnMLTV 降低，仅使用锚定点时实际使用试验的 pnMLTV 低于假装使用试验。当使用单臂或双臂，或当参与者实际或假装使用触觉工具时，步速和%DS在试验之间没有变化。与使用锚定点相比，参与者使用栏杆时行走速度较慢。
这些结果强调了在使用任何工具时，双臂的重要性可以提高平衡控制能力。增加的感官输入增加了手臂配置的稳定效果，对于锚定点是如此，但对于栏杆则不然。这些结果对未来强调感觉运动整合以改善步行平衡控制的研究和康复工作具有重要意义。
