Emergence of Walking Flashcards
What did Taub and Berman do/prove?
They forced the use of a sensory deprived animal by constraining the other limb. They concluded that rehabilitation can occur by engaging the limb in activities.
What did Forssberg do/prove?
He worked with cats that had a transected spinal cord and found that they have the same muscle activity that normal cats have. He concluded that lower limb activity can be activated under certain situations.
Describe what happens in prenatal to postnatal stepping.
- infants kick or step in utero
- at birth children elicit stepping patterns
- stepping patterns disappear at 2 months and reappear at the start of walking
What did Sherrington do/prove?
They found that severed spinal cords and hind limbs continued alternating movements and concluded that they do not need the influence of higher brain centers to walk. In monkey’s it was found that eliminating sensory information results in rhythmic walking patterns, concluding that removing sensory input on both sides resulted in pattern remains.
Describe the progression from stability to mobility
- standing with assistance
- standing alone
- mobility with two hands
- independent mobility
Is there an average timeframe for the emergence of gait?
- on average infants begin to walk from 9-15 months (motor delay in gait at 18 months)
- myelination occurs from caudal to distal- at 9 months it reaches the lower limbs (critical factor in gait emergence)
What are the componendets of gait that are developed from birth to 12 months?
- locomotion pattern (CPG); innate
- postural control in standing
- motivation and navigation towards a distant object
- standing on one leg: stance phase stability (cruising)
- high guard posture
What are the necessary components for gait emergence?
- motor production (stabilization, for or power)
- CPG’s
- myelination
- intact sensory system (vision, vestibular, somatosensory)
- balance or postural control
- dissociation of limbs
What are some sensory contributions to gait?
- Vision: balance, steering, and avoiding obstacles, visual optic flow, stabilizing head; vision vertical
- Vestibular system: stabilization of head, postural control
- Somatosensory/Proprioception: feedback of body awareness, tactile feedback from ground
Describe the characteristics of a child’s first steps?
- high step pattern
- wide BOS
- no push off
- knees flexed at stance
- no arm swing
- high guard position
- short steps
- synchronized patterns in legs
- waddling pattern
What is synchronization and dissociation?
In the gradual emergence of normal gait the joints demonstrate an increasing complexity. Synchronization means moving simultaneously and dissociation means moving joints individually.
Children go from synchronization to dissociation.
What is controlled fall?
Infants lean forward when walking
What type of posture do children have when first learning to wlak?
they have a forward center of mass
How would a child demonstrate the ability to control equilibrium responses and postural control?
- they would fall forward with hands extended or backwards on their bottom
When does the ability to control single leg stance occur?
usually occurs at one year