Chapter 13 Flashcards
Falls are the ____ leading cause of death in people over ____.
7th; 75
What are some of the contributors to the changes in gait parameters in older adults?
- Balance/postural control
- Reduced sensory information
- cognitive factors
- changes in proactive and reactive locomotor abilities
- pathology (neurologic, cardiovascular, musculoskeletal disorders) can be underlying factors
What are some of the factors that can cause changes in gait?
Neurologic impairments, aging, genetic and experiential components
What are the temporal and distance changes?
Decreased walking speed/decreased cadence
Shorter stride length/shorter step length
Longer double support phase/shorter single limb stance
Decreased swing phase/increased stance phase
Wider BOS/increased stride width
What is the minimal walking speed required for an older adult to safely cross a city street?
1.4 m/s
What are the kinematic changes seen?
Decreased arm swing
Decreased hip, knee and ankle flexion
Flatter foot on heel strike
Decreased ability to co-vary hip/knee movement
Decreased dynamic stability during stance
Decreased vertical movement of COG/COM
What are the kinetic changes seen?
Decreased power generation at push-off
Decreased power absorption at heel strike
What muscle activation pattern changes are seen?
Increased muscle activity at specific points in the step cycle (increased effort to improve stability)
Increased co-activation of agonist and antagonist muscles (increased stiffness)
What changes occur with proactive adaptation?
Takes longer time to adapt to upcoming step in order to avoid an obstacle
___ of falls in older adults are due to tripping over an object
35-47%
___ of falls are due to slips
27-32%
What causes falls in older adults?
Timing and sequencing of muscle activation problems
Hip muscles of swing leg and ankle plantar flexors of the stance leg; rate of torque development
