Ribeirão Preto Medical School, Graduate Program in Rehabilitation and Functional Performance, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
Biomechanics and Motor Control Lab, School of Physical Education and Sport of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
Sci Rep. 2022 Apr 27;12(1):6854. doi: 10.1038/s41598-022-10848-y.
Detection of changes in dynamic balance could help identify older adults at fall risk. Walking on a narrow beam with its width, cognitive load, and arm position manipulated could be an alternative to current tests. Therefore, we examined additive and interactive effects of beam width, cognitive task (CT), and arm position on dynamic balance during beam walking in older adults. Twenty older adults (69 ± 4y) walked on 6, 8, and 10-cm wide beams (2-cm high, 4-m-long), with and without CT, with three arm positions (free, crossed, akimbo). We determined cognitive errors, distance walked, step speed, root mean square (RMS) of center of mass (COM) displacement and trunk acceleration in the frontal plane. Beam width decrease progressively reduced distance walked and increased trunk acceleration RMS. Step speed decreased on the narrowest beam and with CT. Arm crossing decreased distance walked and step speed. COM displacement RMS and cognitive errors were not affected by any manipulation. In conclusion, distance walked indicated that beam width and arm position, but less so CT, affected dynamic balance, implying that beam walking has the potential to become a test of fall risk. Stability measurements suggested effective trunk adjustments to control COM position and keep dynamic balance during the task.
检测动态平衡的变化有助于识别有跌倒风险的老年人。在一条宽度、认知负荷和手臂位置可操纵的狭窄平衡木上行走，可能是目前测试的替代方法。因此，我们研究了在老年人平衡木行走过程中，平衡木宽度、认知任务 (CT) 和手臂位置的附加和交互效应对动态平衡的影响。20 名老年人（69±4 岁）在 6、8 和 10 厘米宽的平衡木（2 厘米高，4 米长）上行走，有或没有 CT，并采用三种手臂位置（自由、交叉、抱臂）。我们确定了认知错误、行走距离、步速、质心 (COM) 位移均方根 (RMS) 和躯干在前平面上的加速度。平衡木宽度逐渐减小会减少行走距离并增加躯干加速度 RMS。最窄的平衡木和 CT 会降低步速。手臂交叉会减少行走距离和步速。COM 位移 RMS 和认知错误不受任何操作的影响。总之，行走距离表明平衡木宽度和手臂位置（但认知任务的影响较小）会影响动态平衡，这意味着平衡木行走有可能成为跌倒风险的测试方法。稳定性测量表明，躯干进行了有效的调整，以控制 COM 位置并在任务中保持动态平衡。
