ArticleEuropean journal of applied physiology2025
Probing gait adaptations: The impact of aging on dynamic stability and reflex control mechanisms under varied weight-bearing conditions.
Article in European journal of applied physiology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.
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Who cites it
6 citing papers in PubMed.
- Modified Gait Support in Adults Three to Eighteen Months After Concussion.Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Using explainable AI to identify disease-relevant and deep brain stimulation treatment-sensitive gait features in Parkinson's disease.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitation · 2026Article
- Walking with noise: the impact of auditory white noise stimulation on gait dynamics in young and older adults.Frontiers in bioengineering and biotechnology · 2026Article
- Physical function, daily activities, and spinal pain in the elderly: A cross-sectional study.PloS one · 2026Article
- Effects of anti-parkinsonian medication on gait during internal and external rhythmic auditory cueing in PD.Frontiers in human neuroscience · 2026Article
- The effects of weight-bearing manipulations on gait and its underlying neural control mechanisms in toe walking children.Frontiers in human neuroscience · 2025Article
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Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
Abstract
purposeMaintaining stable gait patterns is essential for preserving health and well-being throughout the aging process. While several biomechanical models have been developed to describe gait adaptation and stability, the role of reflex control mechanisms remains underexplored. This study aimed to understand the mechanisms by which disturbances to gait patterns (changes to weight-bearing conditions) are influencing gait adaptations, gait variability, and their underlying reflex control mechanisms during treadmill walking in young and older adults.
methodsTwenty young (mean age 25.7 ± 3.3 years) and 20 older adults (62.3 ± 4.3 years) walked on a treadmill under five weight-bearing conditions: normal bodyweight, 20 and 40% additional weight (bodyweight loading), and 20 and 40% reduced weight (bodyweight unloading). Linear mixed-effects models were used to assess spatiotemporal gait parameters, margin of stability, gait variability (standard deviation), and H-reflex amplitudes.
resultsBodyweight unloading significantly reduced antero-posterior margin of stability (p < 0.01). Compared to young adults, older adults exhibited shorter stride length, longer double-limb support time, larger antero-posterior margin of stability, and increased variability (p < 0.05). While H-reflex amplitudes increased with increasing weight-bearing in young adults, older adults were less capable to modulate their H-reflex amplitude across weight conditions.
conclusionThese findings suggest that gait adaptations under altered weight-bearing conditions involve shifts in temporal gait regulation and gait strategies. The reduced H-reflex modulation in older adults may indicate a limited ability to adapt spinal-level reflex amplitudes, leading to greater reliance on other balance control mechanisms. Understanding these neuromuscular adaptations is essential for designing prevention programs to enhance stability and prevent falls.
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