OBJECTIVE To identify the potential predictors of ambulatory function in subacute stroke patients, and to determine the contributing factors according to gait severity. METHODS Fifty-three subacute stroke patents were enrolled. Ambulatory function was assessed by gait speed and endurance. Balance function was evaluated by the Berg Balance Scale score (BBS) and the Timed Up and Go test (TUG). ...

Changes in the biomechanics of gait may alter the energy requirements of walking in Parkinson's Disease (PD). This study investigated economy of gait during submaximal treadmill walking in 79 subjects with mild to moderate PD and the relationship between gait economy and 6-minute walk distance (6 MW). Oxygen consumption (VO(2)) at the self-selected treadmill walking speed averaged 64% of peak o...

OBJECTIVES This study aimed to describe gait speed at admission and discharge from inpatient hospital rehabilitation among older adults recovering from orthopaedic trauma and factors associated with gait speed performance and discharge destination. DESIGN A longitudinal cohort study was conducted. SETTING Australian tertiary hospital subacute rehabilitation wards. PARTICIPANTS Patients ag...

It is accepted that the role of Anticipatory Postural Adjustments (APA) during gait initiation is to create the propulsive forces necessary to reach the gait velocity at the end of the first step. The aim of this study was to examine whether and how an overload modifies these APA. Twenty-one subjects performed gait initiation in two experimental conditions: unloaded (UL) and with an overload of...

Gravity has a strong effect on gait and the speed of gait transitions. A gait has been defined as a pattern of locomotion that changes discontinuously at the transition to another gait. On Earth, during gradual speed changes, humans exhibit a sudden discontinuous switch from walking to running at a specific speed. To study the effects of altered gravity on both the stance and swing legs, we dev...

BACKGROUND Previous literature demonstrates the interest of gait analysis to predict cognitive decline in old people. AIMS This pilot study aims to determine if gait speed or gait variability is a marker able to early identify, among mild cognitive impairment (MCI) subjects, those at risk to develop Alzheimer's disease (AD) in the future. METHODS 13 MCI subjects were included in 2007. Their...

Introduction: Falls are considered as the major health problem in ageing and the damages caused by falls (such as fractures, disability, heavy costs on government and family, and death) are the major concern of the World Health Organization. So, determination of risk factors and specific ways to prevent falls in the elderlies are of great importance. The aim of this study was to evaluate the ef...

Objectives. This study aimed to describe the cross-sectional and longitudinal association between alcohol intake and gait parameters in older persons. Methods. Community-dwelling persons aged 65-70 years (N = 807). Information on health, functional status, and alcohol use was self-reported at baseline and at 3-year follow-up, whereas gait speed and stride-to-stride variability were measured whi...

Objectives: This study was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of a modified floor reaction ankle foot orthosis (FRAFO) design on gait performance in children with cerebral palsy. Methods: Eight children with cerebral palsy wore a modified FRAFO bilaterally for six weeks. Motion analysis was used to assess the immediate effectiveness of the orthosis on improving gait and also following si...

OBJECTIVE To examine the effects of a 12-week therapeutic yoga program on gait speed, postural control, and mobility in community-dwelling older adults. DESIGN Quasi-experimental study with a pretest/post-test design. Researchers evaluated changes over time (pretest to post-test) in all outcome measures. Paired t-tests were used to analyze normal and fast gait speed, Timed Up and Go test, and...