Aging and Mobility

Question 1

what kind of posture do older adults have compared to healthy younger adults

Answer 1

guarded (flexed)wh

Question 2

what are some temporal/distance factors of aging

Answer 2

decreased velocity
decreased step length
decreased step rate
decreased stride length
increased stride width

Question 3

what are some kinematic changes of aging

Answer 3

decreased arm swing
decreased hip, knee, ankle flexion
decreased arm swing
decreased dynamic stability in stance

Question 4

if someone has a walking speed of less than 1 m/s what does that mean

Answer 4

need intervention for fall risk

Question 5

if someone has a walking speed of less than 0.6 m’s what does that mean

Answer 5

dependence in ADLs and increased likelihood of hospitalization

Question 6

if someone has a walking speed of less than 0.15 m/s what does that mean

Answer 6

increased likelihood of discharge to SNF

Question 7

adding a secondary task during fait does what to older adults

Answer 7

increased stride time variability
increased reaction time

Question 8

compared to young adults and adult non-fallers, what is fallers variability of stride time and swing time

Answer 8

increased - predictive of falls

Question 9

with aging, how does co-contraction change

Answer 9

increased in thigh and shank (more so in thigh) and was greatest 10% before and first 10% after IC

Question 10

what stability strategy increases with aging? which one decreases?

Answer 10

hip
ankle

Question 11

how is joint power in gait affected with aging

Answer 11

decreased PF power after initial contact and push off
decreased power in early/mid/late stance and early swing (quads)

Question 12

with aging, what kind of exercises can you employ

Answer 12

mod-high intensity strengthening and aerobic exercises
functional task training

Question 13

what was the effect of 5-22 weeks of task oritented training and exercise on gait

Answer 13

those with less tended to gain more (clinical mobility scores, strength, endurance, gait velocity, less AD, string length increase)

Question 14

if you only are able to produce 50% of normal torque, what can happen during a trip

Answer 14

swing foot contacts ground, leading to another trip, may need multiple steps to recover
overall short step length and early foot strike of swing leg

Question 15

what muscles are important for trip recovery

Answer 15

swing leg: hip flexors
stance leg: plantar flexors

Question 16

with aging, how is trip recovery affected

Answer 16

delayed reactive control in distal muscles (reduced muscle activation and slower rate of development)

Question 17

during a slip, what do older adults do?

Answer 17

greater trunk and arm responses
delayed onset of contraction -> prolonged activation -> coactivation

Question 18

comparing stretegy/amplitude of a reaction in a midstance slip to an initial contact slip, what is the difference

Answer 18

adults use the same strategy - which is bad (an IC slip has increased threat, so they aren’t responding enough)

Question 19

in response to an oily surface, how do older adults react

Answer 19

they don’t lower heel contact velocity using ankle power - which is bad can lead to slips and falls

Question 20

how does visual sampling change with age

Answer 20

happens less often, but for longer periods

Question 21

how is obstacle crossing affected with aging

Answer 21

slower approach and crossover
shorter step length
more lateral trunk movement
tends to step on obstacles

Question 22

in balance impaired older adults, what do they often have difficulty with

Answer 22

gait initiation
gait termination

Question 23

with decreased strength and balance, what does that lead to in older adults

Answer 23

10x more likely to be severely gait disables

Question 24

with cog tasks in older adults, how does that affect obstacle avoidance

Answer 24

more obstacle contacts and error rates

Question 25

what are predictors to fear of falling

Answer 25

reduced walking speed and stride length
anxiety
depression

Question 26

how is stair climbing affected with aging

Answer 26

larger foot clearance
reliance on vision

Question 27

how is rising from a bed affected with aging

Answer 27

synchronous lifting patterns

Question 28

how is sit to stand affected with aging

Answer 28

increased trunk and knee flexion
higher velocity after seat off
longer duration