Oates Alison R, Awdhan Aaron, Arnold Catherine, Fung Joyce, Lanovaz Joel L
J Aging Phys Act. 2020 Feb 20;28(5):680-685. doi: 10.1123/japa.2019-0270. Print 2020 Oct 1.
Adding haptic input may improve balance control and help prevent falls in older adults. This study examined the effects of added haptic input via light touch on a railing while walking. Participants (N = 53, 75.9 ± 7.9 years) walked normally or in tandem (heel to toe) with and without haptic input. During normal walking, adding haptic input resulted in a more cautious and variable gait pattern, reduced variability of center of mass acceleration and margin of stability, and increased muscle activity. During tandem walking, haptic input had minimal effect on step parameters, decreased lower limb muscle activity, and increased cocontraction at the ankle closest to the railing. Age was correlated with step width variability, stride length variability, stride velocity, variability of medial-lateral center of mass acceleration, and margin of stability for tandem walking. This complex picture of sensorimotor integration in older adults warrants further exploration into added haptic input during walking.
增加触觉输入可能会改善老年人的平衡控制并有助于预防跌倒。本研究考察了行走时通过轻触栏杆增加触觉输入的效果。参与者（N = 53，年龄75.9 ± 7.9岁）在有或没有触觉输入的情况下正常行走或前后脚相接（脚跟接脚尖）行走。在正常行走过程中，增加触觉输入会导致步态模式更加谨慎且多变，质心加速度变异性和稳定裕度降低，肌肉活动增加。在前后脚相接行走过程中，触觉输入对步参数影响极小，下肢肌肉活动减少，且靠近栏杆一侧脚踝的共同收缩增加。年龄与前后脚相接行走时的步宽变异性、步长变异性、步速、质心内外侧加速度变异性以及稳定裕度相关。老年人这种复杂的感觉运动整合情况值得对行走过程中增加的触觉输入进行进一步探索。
