Quantitative analysis of gait using footswitches and accelerometers in elderly fallers
Quantitative analysis of gait using footswitches and accelerometers in elderly fallers
- Author(s): K.M. Culhane ; M. O'Connor ; A.-M. Finucane ; G.M. Lyons ; D. Lyons
- DOI: 10.1049/cp:20050343
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- Author(s): K.M. Culhane ; M. O'Connor ; A.-M. Finucane ; G.M. Lyons ; D. Lyons Source: IEE Irish Signals and Systems Conference 2005, 2005 p. 395 – 400
- Conference: IEE Irish Signals and Systems Conference 2005
- DOI: 10.1049/cp:20050343
- ISBN: 0 86341 549 0
- Location: Dublin, Ireland
- Conference date: 1-2 Sept. 2005
- Format: PDF
Falls are a leading cause of accidental death in the elderly. Orthostatic hypotension (OH) has a high prevalence in the elderly and is a significant risk factor for falls. We evaluated the gait variability of older adult fallers who were falling due to OH and compared it to the gait variability of older adult fallers in whom OH was excluded as a cause and a healthy control group of older adult non-fallers. We hypothesised that persons with OH might have subtle underlying gait abnormalities as a result of repeated episodes of cerebral hypoperfusion. Using footswitches the temporal gait parameters of these subjects were examined; stride time, swing time, stance time, percent stance time and walking speed, and the variability of these parameters from stride-to-stride was determined. Simultaneously, using accelerometers we examined the stride-to-stride variability of head and trunk acceleration in both the anterior-posterior (AP) and medio-lateral (ML) directions. The OH fallers were shown to walk significantly slower and to spend a greater proportion of the gait cycle in the stance phase than the control group - gait adaptations that were also evident in the NOH faller group. Despite reducing their walking speed, the gait variability was significantly increased in the OH faller group compared to the control group. This demonstrates measurable gait abnormalities in patients with OH suggesting that haemodynamic changes may not be the only contributing factor to falls.
Inspec keywords: patient care; accelerometers; gait analysis
Subjects: Patient care and treatment; Physics of body movements; Velocity, acceleration and rotation measurement
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