Balance Control During Gait

University Hospital, Rouen50 enrolled

Overview

Gait and balance disorders are important public health problem necessitating studies to try to prevent falls. Many studies have dealt with spatiotemporal gait parameters or balance during quiet standing (posturography). Nevertheless, falls occurred predominantly during gait, and rarely during quiet standing. We have developed a tool to measure balance during gait : the braking of the center of mass (CM), a biomechanical parameter obtained from the vertical velocity of the CM recorded with a force plate. In previous studies, we have shown that the braking of the CM was a physiological and a active mechanism, reflecting balance during gait. Unfortunately, the braking of the CM measured on a force plate provide an important intra-individual variability. The 3D optoelectronic gait analysis system (VICON) also provide an estimation of the CM. The primary goal of this study is to compare intra-individual variability of the braking of the CM determined by a force plate or the 3D optoelectronic gait analysis system (VICON) in healthy subjects.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

Purpose

BASIC_SCIENCE

Masking

NONE

Enrollment

Conditions

Healthy

Interventions

Subjects, barefoot and standing upright and motionless on a force plate, were instructed to walk for 10 m following a beep delivered by the experimenter. Two experimental conditions were tested: (i) the 'natural' gait condition where subjects walked normally and (ii) the 'fast' gait condition where subjects walked as fast as they could, taking large steps. Each subject performed 10 trials in each condition.

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 20 YearsMax age: 40 YearsHealthy volunteers:

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * Healthy subjects * Between 20 and 40 years old * Effective contraception for women of childbearing age Exclusion Criteria: * Neurological, vestibular, rheumatologic, orthopaedic disorders, which could influence gait and balance. * Known spinal deformity * Severe visual impairment : visual acuity less than 6/10 * Inability to stand and walk without assistance 15 meters * Subjects without social security * Subjects involved in another biomedical trial during this study * Pregnant or breastfeeding women

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Braking of the center of mass index during gait initiation

Braking of the center of mass (CM), a biomechanical parameter obtained from the vertical velocity of the CM, determined by a force plate or a 3D optoelectronic gait analysis system (VICON).

Time frame: 1 day

Secondary Outcomes

Braking of the center of mass index during locomotion

Braking of the center of mass (CM), a biomechanical parameter obtained from the vertical velocity of the CM, determined by a 3D optoelectronic gait analysis system (VICON).