Gait & posture最新文献

{"title":"Construct validity of markerless three-dimensional gait biomechanics in healthy older adults","authors":"Andreia Carvalho ,&nbsp;Jos Vanrenterghem ,&nbsp;Sílvia Cabral ,&nbsp;Ana M. d'Assunção ,&nbsp;Filomena Carnide ,&nbsp;António P. Veloso ,&nbsp;Vera Moniz-Pereira","doi":"10.1016/j.gaitpost.2025.04.022","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.gaitpost.2025.04.022","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background and aim</h3><div>Gait changes due to aging can result in functional limitations and a higher risk of falls, with older adults showing alterations in joint angles and moments. Marker-based gait analysis is not widely used in clinical settings due to its complexity and discomfort, especially in older adults. Recent advances in markerless motion capture, such as Theia3D, offer a promising alternative. This study aims to assess the construct validity of a markerless motion capture system for gait analysis in healthy older adults.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>A cross-sectional study included 30 healthy community-dwelling older adults. Gait data was collected using marker-based and markerless motion capture systems in randomized order, with participants wearing tight-fitting minimal clothes plus 46 reflective markers attached, or their usual clothes, respectively. Joint kinematics (including range of motion) and kinetics were analyzed, and correlations between methods (Rxy) were assessed. Bland&amp;Altman analysis was used to measure agreement. Root-mean-square differences (RMSD) were computed. Acceptable thresholds were set at ≤ 5º for kinematic and at ≤ 10 % of signal amplitude for kinetics.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Strong correlations (Rxy≥0.7) were found between the systems for sagittal plane kinematics (except for the pelvis), particularly for knee and ankle joints. A low agreement was detected in sagittal plane hip and pelvis kinematics, along with RMSD exceeding 5º. Weaker correlations and poor agreement were observed for transverse and frontal plane motions. Overall strong correlations were found for kinetics, except for the joint ankle inversion-eversion moment, and poor agreement for the frontal and transverse planes.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Overall markerless motion capture demonstrated good construct validity for measuring sagittal plane gait lower-limb gait kinematics (excluding pelvis) and kinetics in healthy older. However, considering the agreement between methods and the results for the other movement planes, further validation is required before markerless and marker-based systems can be used interchangeably in gait assessments.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12496,"journal":{"name":"Gait & posture","volume":"120 ","pages":"Pages 217-225"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-04-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143874723","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Stage-specific gait deviations in individuals with hip osteoarthritis","authors":"Ransi S.S. Subasinghe Arachchige ,&nbsp;Maria Constantinou ,&nbsp;Yi Man Yeung ,&nbsp;Xin He ,&nbsp;Michael T.Y. Ong ,&nbsp;Patrick S.H. Yung ,&nbsp;Roy T.H. Cheung","doi":"10.1016/j.gaitpost.2025.04.025","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.gaitpost.2025.04.025","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objective</h3><div>This cross-sectional study examined stage-specific biomechanical differences in individuals with hip osteoarthritis (OA) compared to healthy controls, aiming to identify markers of disease severity and progression.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Thirty participants were categorised into three groups: healthy controls, radiographic early-to-moderate hip OA, and radiographic moderate-to-severe hip OA. Spatiotemporal, kinematic, and kinetic parameters were extracted and a one-way ANOVA was used to detect group differences. Spearman’s rho correlations evaluated associations between key biomechanical parameters and the Hip Disability and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (HOOS).</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Participants with moderate-to-severe hip OA exhibited significantly lower gait speed (p &lt; 0.001, Cohen’s d = 2.08), cadence (p = 0.037, Cohen’s d = 1.31), step length (p &lt; 0.001, Cohen’s d = 1.90), stride length (p &lt; 0.001, Cohen’s d = 1.99), early stance hip adduction moment (HAM) (p &lt; 0.001, Cohen’s d = 3.13), hip flexion moment (p &lt; 0.001, Cohen’s d = 3.42), hip extension moment (p = 0.016, Cohen’s d = 1.35), and knee flexion moment (p = 0.012, Cohen’s d = 1.52), alongside increased step width (p = 0.008, Cohen’s d = -1.42), compared to healthy controls. Early-to-moderate hip OA participants also demonstrated significantly lower gait speed (p = 0.008, Cohen’s d = 1.89), step length (p = 0.014, Cohen’s d = 1.56), stride length (p = 0.008, Cohen’s d = 1.72), early stance HAM (p = 0.044, Cohen’s d = 1.09), and hip flexion moment (p &lt; 0.001., Cohen’s d = 2.93) relative to controls. Early stance HAM further distinguished between early and advanced stages of the disease (p = 0.016, Cohen’s d = 1.25) and was positively correlated with HOOS (r = 0.604, p &lt; 0.001).</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Distinct HAM differences in early stance of gait differentiate hip OA stages. Monitoring this potential biomechanical marker may enable early detection and targeted interventions to optimise gait mechanics and improve outcomes in individuals with hip OA.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12496,"journal":{"name":"Gait & posture","volume":"120 ","pages":"Pages 226-233"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-04-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143877084","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Changes of knee proprioception in patients with knee osteoarthritis undergoing unicompartmental knee arthroplasty","authors":"Bojian Yang ,&nbsp;Jingnan Shi ,&nbsp;Haohua Zhang ,&nbsp;Kuan Zhang ,&nbsp;Songhua Yan","doi":"10.1016/j.gaitpost.2025.04.020","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.gaitpost.2025.04.020","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objective</h3><div>Proprioception, encompassing position sense, kinesthesia, and force sense, is crucial for maintaining joint stability. While prior studies suggest improved knee proprioception in knee osteoarthritis (KOA) patients following unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA), assessments were limited to position sense or kinesthesia alone, failing to comprehensively evaluate proprioceptive changes. This study aimed to investigate the effects of UKA on all three proprioceptive components in KOA patients.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Seventy KOA patients and 29 healthy controls were recruited, with 36 patients undergoing UKA. Sixteen and 12 patients were measured at the 3-month and 6-month follow-up postoperatively. Proprioception (position sense at 30°, 45°, and 60 °, kinesthesia, and force sense) was assessed preoperatively and postoperatively at 3 and 6 months.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Preoperatively, KOA patients exhibited significantly impaired position sense, kinesthesia, and force sense in both operated and contralateral knees compared to controls (p &lt; 0.05). At 3 months postoperatively, position sense at 30°, kinesthesia and force sense in contralateral knee improved significantly (p &lt; 0.05). Operated knee kinesthesia also improved (p &lt; 0.05). No significant differences were observed between 3 and 6 months postoperatively.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>KOA patients demonstrate reduced proprioception compared to healthy individuals. Postoperative improvements in proprioception, particularly in the contralateral knee, were evident at 3 months but plateaued by 6 months, underscoring the need for targeted proprioceptive rehabilitation post-UKA.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12496,"journal":{"name":"Gait & posture","volume":"120 ","pages":"Pages 205-210"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-04-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143860176","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Reliability and validity of current computer vision based motion capture systems in gait analysis: A systematic review","authors":"Xingye Cheng ,&nbsp;Yiran Jiao ,&nbsp;Rebecca M. Meiring ,&nbsp;Bo Sheng ,&nbsp;Yanxin Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.gaitpost.2025.04.016","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.gaitpost.2025.04.016","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Traditional instrumented gait analysis (IGA) objectively quantifies gait deviations, but its clinical use is hindered by high cost, lab environment, and complex protocols. Pose estimation algorithm (PEA)-based gait analysis, which infers joint positions from videos, offers an accessible method to detect gait abnormalities and tailor rehabilitation strategies. However, its reliability and validity in gait analysis and algorithmic factors affecting accuracy have not been reviewed.</div></div><div><h3>Research question</h3><div>This systematic review aims to evaluate the accuracy of PEA-based gait analysis systems and to identify the algorithmic factors impacting their accuracy.</div></div><div><h3>Method</h3><div>A total of 644 articles were initially identified through Scopus, PubMed, and IEEE, with 20 meeting the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Reliability, validity, and algorithmic parameters were extracted for detailed review.</div></div><div><h3>Results and significance</h3><div>Most included articles focus on validity against the gold standard, while limited evidence makes it challenging to determine reliability. OpenCap demonstrated an MAE of 4.1° for 3D joint angles, but higher errors in rotational angles require further validation. OpenPose demonstrated ICCs of 0.89–0.994 for spatiotemporal parameters and MAE &lt; 5.2° for 2D hip and knee joint angles in the sagittal plane (ICCs = 0.67–0.92, CCCs = 0.83–0.979), but ankle kinematics exhibited poor accuracy (ICCs = 0.37–0.57, MAEs = 3.1°-9.77°, CCCs = 0.51–0.936). PEA accuracy depends on camera settings, backbone architecture, and training datasets. This study reviews the accuracy of PEA-based gait analysis systems, supporting future research in gait-related clinical applications of PEA.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12496,"journal":{"name":"Gait & posture","volume":"120 ","pages":"Pages 150-160"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-04-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143839141","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Step by adaptive step: How younger and older adults navigate obstacles","authors":"Ashwini Kulkarni ,&nbsp;Chuyi Cui ,&nbsp;Shirley Rietdyk ,&nbsp;Satyajit Ambike","doi":"10.1016/j.gaitpost.2025.04.014","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.gaitpost.2025.04.014","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Younger adults, while approaching and crossing an obstacle, destabilize step length over several steps to ensure accurate foot placement around the obstacle and thereby avoid a trip. Destabilized step length has two potential effects: it facilitates corrections in foot placements to achieve the required accuracy, but it may also impair balance by perturbing the relation between the base of support and the motion or state of the whole-body center of mass. Therefore, destabilized step length in younger adults reflects a greater concern for tripping versus small variations in step length.</div></div><div><h3>Research question</h3><div>Do healthy older adults demonstrate greater step length destabilization than younger adults while approaching and crossing stationary obstacles?</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Healthy younger and older adults approached and crossed a stationary visible obstacle multiple times. The across-trial foot placement data were analyzed using the uncontrolled manifold method to obtain the inter-step covariance (ISCz) index for several approach steps and the obstacle crossing step. Higher index value indicates higher step length stability and vice-versa.</div></div><div><h3>Results and significiance</h3><div>Younger and older adults destabilized step length (ISCz index reduced) while approaching and crossing the obstacle (p &lt; .0001). The ISCz index was 14.5 % lower for older adults indicating that they destabilized step length more than younger adults (p = .02). Given the higher costs of a trip-induced fall, the pattern likely represents a rational adaptation by the older adults to avoid tripping. This pattern in the ISCz index could be used to assess the health of the neuromuscular control system in clinical populations.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12496,"journal":{"name":"Gait & posture","volume":"120 ","pages":"Pages 192-198"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-04-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143854761","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Up and down – The impact of calcaneal fracture on medial gastrocnemius fascicle behavior and ankle biomechanics during heel-rise performance","authors":"Andreas Brand ,&nbsp;Tsubasa Tashiro ,&nbsp;Inga Kröger ,&nbsp;Noriaki Maeda ,&nbsp;Isabella Klöpfer-Krämer ,&nbsp;Andrea Dietrich ,&nbsp;Johannes Gabel ,&nbsp;Peter Augat","doi":"10.1016/j.gaitpost.2025.04.017","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.gaitpost.2025.04.017","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Calcaneal fractures (CF) often result in reduced foot mobility and plantar flexor strength, despite intensive rehabilitation. While treatment mostly focuses on bone restoration, structural and functional adaptation of the ankle plantar flexors during movement is less understood.</div></div><div><h3>Research question</h3><div>To investigate medial gastrocnemius fascicle behavior and ankle biomechanics in patients with CF during bipedal heel-rise.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Repetitive heel-rise was analyzed in 18 patients with unilateral CF (BMI: 27.3 ± 3.2 kgm⁻², Age: 50 ± 13 years) and 18 healthy controls (BMI: 26.3 ± 3 kgm⁻², Age: 48 ± 11 years) using motion capture and ultrasound. Patients were measured 3 and 12 months after surgery. Dynamic gastrocnemius fascicle length, pennation angle, thickness, ankle angle, ground reaction force, heel lift, and Böhler angle were assessed.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Between 3 and 12 months, pennation angle in patients increased by up to 33 % (p &lt; 0.05), while fascicle length and thickness remained unchanged. Ankle plantarflexion and heel lift showed no improvement, while ground reaction force and symmetry increased by 12 % and 55 %, respectively. Compared to controls, patient’s fascicle parameters showed no differences, while a reduced maximum plantarflexion and heel lift by up to 41 % remained. Ground reaction force recovered to control levels at 12 months. The average Böhler angle was 21.6° (9.8–41.6°).</div></div><div><h3>Significance</h3><div>Impaired foot stability and alignment originating from altered calcaneal anatomy after fracture, rather than muscle deficits, primarily contribute to a reduced ankle joint function one year post-surgery.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12496,"journal":{"name":"Gait & posture","volume":"120 ","pages":"Pages 199-204"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143854762","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Step-time variability is a specific gait characteristic associated with functional disabilities in knee osteoarthritis: The Nagahama study","authors":"Masashi Taniguchi ,&nbsp;Tome Ikezoe ,&nbsp;Tadao Tsuboyama ,&nbsp;Hiromu Ito ,&nbsp;Shuichi Matsuda ,&nbsp;Fumihiko Matsuda ,&nbsp;Noriaki Ichihashi","doi":"10.1016/j.gaitpost.2025.04.013","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.gaitpost.2025.04.013","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Gait characteristics of spatiotemporal parameters of knee osteoarthritis (OA) using large sample of patients with various radiographic severities and asymmetry have not been studied previously.</div></div><div><h3>Objective</h3><div>This study aimed to determine the disease-specific gait characteristics of knee OA and assess the spatiotemporal gait parameters associated with functional disability.</div></div><div><h3>Method</h3><div>The data was extracted from the Nagahama study and included 1591 participants aged ≥ 60 years, who underwent knee radiography and gait analysis. Of these, 998 (62.7 %) were assigned to healthy control group and 593 (37.3 %) to knee OA group. Gait speed, cadence, stride length, step length asymmetry, and step-time variability were measured using wearable inertial sensor. The Knee Scoring System (KSS) was used to assess functional disability. Logistic regression analysis was performed, with group variables as dependent variables and gait parameters as independent variables. In knee OA group, multiple regression analysis was performed with KSS score as dependent variable and gait parameters as independent variables after adjusting for potential confounders.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Step-time variability was associated with knee OA (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 1.08; 95 % confidence interval [CI], 1.00–1.15; p = 0.037). Lower gait speed (Beta [B]=13.60; 95 %CI, 4.41–22.80; p = 0.004) and higher step-time variability (B=-0.82; 95 %CI, −1.40 to −0.24; p = 0.005) were associated with a decrease in KSS score in knee OA.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>These findings suggest that higher step-time variability is a specific gait characteristic of knee OA and is a negative factor associated with functional disabilities. The assessment of step-time variability is a useful indicator for screening abnormal gait patterns in knee OA.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12496,"journal":{"name":"Gait & posture","volume":"120 ","pages":"Pages 211-216"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-04-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143860177","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Locomotor-cognitive dual-tasking is reduced in older adults relative to younger: A systematic review with meta-analysis","authors":"Jona Mustafovska,&nbsp;Peter H. Wilson,&nbsp;Michael H. Cole,&nbsp;Thomas B. McGuckian","doi":"10.1016/j.gaitpost.2025.04.012","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.gaitpost.2025.04.012","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>The capacity to dual-task is critically important over the lifespan, enabling an individual to respond to demands in their environment, both safely and efficiently.</div></div><div><h3>Research question</h3><div>Does recent evidence suggest that relative to younger adults, older adults are most disadvantaged when performing locomotor-cognitive dual-tasks under conditions that are more representative of the real-world?</div></div><div><h3>Method</h3><div>A literature search of major electronic databases was conducted to find relevant peer-reviewed papers published since 2011. Thirty-nine studies that compared proportional dual-task costs (pDTC) between older and younger adults on a locomotor-cognitive dual-task were included. Study quality was assessed using the Appraisal tool for Cross-Sectional Studies.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>pDTC were calculated for a total of 504 motor and 53 cognitive outcomes. Weighted means showed that older adults experienced larger pDTCs than younger adults for motor (mean difference = −6.97) and cognitive (mean difference = −8.15) outcomes. Velocity variability measures produced the largest group difference on motor pDTC (mean difference = −32.83), as did cognitive tasks that targeted arithmetic (mean difference = −18.57) and texting skills (mean difference = −17.43). Cognitive tasks that were ‘most representative’ resulted in the largest age differences on motor pDTC (mean difference = −16.89).</div></div><div><h3>Significance</h3><div>This meta-analysis showed that dual-tasking challenged the ability of older adults to maintain consistency in the sequential timing of their gait. As well, older adults demonstrated greater pDTCs on motor outcomes, especially when the cognitive tasks were more representative of day-to-day activities. Taken together, this suggests that clinical assessments should focus on measures of variability rather than absolute measures of temporal and spatial gait. It is recommended that future research use more representative paradigms that are sensitive to dual-task interference and predictive of real-world behaviour.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12496,"journal":{"name":"Gait & posture","volume":"120 ","pages":"Pages 177-191"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-04-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143851583","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Overhead support systems differentially affect gait analysis of overground and treadmill walking","authors":"Thomas E. Augenstein ,&nbsp;Shekoofe Saadat ,&nbsp;Amiya C. Gupta ,&nbsp;Danny Shin ,&nbsp;Olugbenga P. Adeeko ,&nbsp;Edward P. Washabaugh ,&nbsp;Chandramouli Krishnan","doi":"10.1016/j.gaitpost.2025.04.008","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.gaitpost.2025.04.008","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Overhead support or catch systems are frequently used in gait studies involving clinical populations to ensure participant safety. These systems remain slack when the participant is upright and therefore are assumed to not interfere with gait biomechanics. However, these systems follow participant’s transverse motion during walking via rail systems, which could produce additional inertial and frictional forces that affect gait biomechanics.</div></div><div><h3>Objective</h3><div>Quantify the influence of overhead support systems on gait biomechanics during treadmill and overground walking.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>We recruited fifteen uninjured adults to perform treadmill and overground walking. In each of these walking conditions, we varied each participant’s walking speed (80, 100, and 120 % of preferred speed) and attachment to an overhead support system. We measured the participants’ joint angles, moments and ground reaction forces using a three-dimensional motion capture system and an instrumented treadmill built into an overground walkway. For overground and treadmill walking, we examined changes in each biomechanical variable across speed and harness conditions using one-dimensional statistical parametric mapping (spm1d).</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>During overground walking, the overhead support system altered ground reaction forces, joint kinematics, and moments, and these effects became more pronounced with increased speed. During treadmill walking, we found very few changes in gait biomechanics resulting from the harness.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>These results caution the use of experimental paradigms involving overground walking when an overhead support is required, although these results may be less pronounced in clinical populations with slower walking speeds. Overhead support systems can be used during treadmill walking without affecting biomechanical measurements.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12496,"journal":{"name":"Gait & posture","volume":"120 ","pages":"Pages 161-169"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-04-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143845049","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Linking brain activation to standing balance performance: A systematic review and meta analysis of functional near-infrared spectroscopy literature","authors":"Nellie Krougly ,&nbsp;Konstantinos Tsikrikis ,&nbsp;Fraser MacRae ,&nbsp;Dimitra V. Pouliopoulou ,&nbsp;Sue Peters","doi":"10.1016/j.gaitpost.2025.04.009","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.gaitpost.2025.04.009","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) holds promise for clinical applications in the field of balance impairment amelioration; however, the relationship between fNIRS metrics and balance performance remains uncertain. We aimed to quantify the correlations between fNIRS-derived brain activation and standing balance performance, and determine variables that influence these associations.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>We systematically reviewed English-language studies, published across PuBMed, PsycINFO, Embase, CINAHL, Ovid Medline, and Web of Science from inception up until July 1, 2024, that assessed standing balance tasks in adults &gt; 18 years old with or without medical diagnosis measured with fNIRS. Pooled correlation coefficients were synthesized using a random effects restricted maximum likelihood model.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Overall, 17 studies were included with 420 participants. Key factors influencing the identified relationships were brain region and participant diagnosis. We identified moderate correlations between balance performance and cortical activation recorded by fNIRS in the supplementary motor area (SMA) (r = 0.52, 95 % CI = 0.39 0.64), and the prefrontal cortex (PFC) (r = 0.47, 95 % CI=0.32 – 0.60). In the PFC, increased oxygenated haemoglobin (HbO) was negatively associated with balance measures. The reverse relationship was reported in the PFC for individuals with physical and cognitive impairment. In the SMA, HbO was positively associated with balance. Few studies found associations between deoxygenated haemoglobin (HbR) and total hemoglobin (HbT) with balance performance.</div></div><div><h3>Significance</h3><div>Current evidence supports a relationship between fNIRS measures, specifically HbO, with standing balance performance. This relationship depends on the brain region measured, age, and the diagnosis of the participants. To better understand this relationship, there is a need to report standardized balance performance metrics alongside other metrics of interest to better synthesize data across publications. Improved understanding the neural basis of standing balance with fNIRS will lead to more informed interventions for balance rehabilitation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12496,"journal":{"name":"Gait & posture","volume":"120 ","pages":"Pages 124-135"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-04-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143823775","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}