Bridging the Gap: Individual Relationships of Gait Variability and Adaptability

Walking is a complex task requiring the actor to accurately perceive the environment; integrate this information; and organize the most appropriate motor response. The ability to complete the aforementioned is most commonly defined as gait adaptability. Individuals with deficits in gait adaptability, such as older adults, are more likely to walk while experiencing higher risk of falls. Unfortunately walking adaptability is difficult to assess under unconstrained circumstances. Recent studies of gait variability have provided insights for understanding gait adaptability. Gait variability refers to the differences in step length and time observed between consecutive strides; it has been evidenced as a predictor for risk of falls and mobility decline for older adults. In parallel, many studies have evidenced a degradation of gait adaptability in older adults compared to younger adults. Therefore, gait variability has been proposed to reflect, to a certain extent, the degree of gait adaptability. Despite numerous studies finding that groups of older people present impairments in both gait variability and gait adaptability the direct relationship between individual measures of gait adaptability and gait variability remains to be determined. Our purpose is to determine the link between these two phenomena by examining the walking variability patterns of young adults (age 19-35) and old adults (age 65+) on a split-belt treadmill. After their walking patterns have been collected a trip will be induced by stopping one of the treadmill belts. The deviation of the subjects’ center of mass from their base of support will be assessed to estimate walking adaptability