Institute for Biomedicine of Aging, Friedrich-Alexander-University of Erlangen-Nürnberg, Kobergerstr. 60, 90408, Nürnberg, Germany.
Department of Geriatrics and Clinic for Geriatric Rehabilitation, Robert-Bosch-Hospital, Auerbachstr. 110, 70376, Stuttgart, Germany.
Gait Posture. 2021 Jul;88:60-65. doi: 10.1016/j.gaitpost.2021.05.002. Epub 2021 May 14.
The 400-meter walk test (400MWT) is used to assess cardiovascular and pulmonary fitness or to predict adverse outcomes such as mobility disability. Additionally, short tests of walking such as the 4- or 8-meter walk test are administered to predict mortality, falls and other events. It remains uncertain if and how an integrated measurement of a short distance during 400MWT can replace an additional short distance measurement which would be clinically useful.
How do short distance (i.e. segment) measurements of gait speed and walk ratio during a 400MWT of mobility compare to those from an additional 8-meter walk test?
A 400MWT and a separate 8-meter walk test were performed by 148 community-dwelling older adults (mean age 80.4 ± 4.4 years) using an instrumented walkway.
Gait speed and walk ratio (i.e. step length divided by step frequency) of single segments of the 400MWT were strongly associated with gait speed (r ≥ 0.91) and walk ratio (r ≥ 0.93) of an 8-meter walk test with best agreement in the middle part 20-meter walk during the 400MWT. Mean gait speed of all single walks on the instrumented walkway during the 400MWT was faster than the mean gait speed of the total 400MWT.
A single walk of the 6 to 10 20-meter walk during the 400MWT can be used as a substitute to an additional short distance trial. Furthermore, the awareness of being measured is higher on an instrumented walkway and possibly increases the motivation to overperform.
400 米步行测试（400MWT）用于评估心血管和肺功能，或预测移动障碍等不良结局。此外，还进行了 4 米或 8 米步行测试等短距离步行测试，以预测死亡率、跌倒和其他事件。目前尚不确定在 400MWT 中测量短距离是否以及如何可以替代额外的短距离测量，而额外的短距离测量在临床上可能是有用的。
400MWT 中短距离（即节段）步态速度和步行比的测量结果与额外 8 米步行测试的结果相比如何？
使用仪器化步道，对 148 名居住在社区的老年人（平均年龄 80.4 ± 4.4 岁）进行了 400MWT 和单独的 8 米步行测试。
400MWT 中单个节段的步态速度和步行比（即步长除以步频）与 8 米步行测试的步态速度（r ≥ 0.91）和步行比（r ≥ 0.93）高度相关，400MWT 中间 20 米步行段的最佳一致性。在仪器化步道上进行的 400MWT 期间，所有单个行走的平均步态速度均快于 400MWT 的平均步态速度。
400MWT 中 6 至 10 个 20 米步行中的单个步行可以替代额外的短距离试验。此外，在仪器化步道上进行测量的意识更高，并且可能会增加过度表现的动力。
