@article{ref1,
title="Age-related changes in balance control system: initiation of stepping",
journal="Clinical biomechanics",
year="1993",
author="Patla, A. E. and Frank, J. S. and Winter, D. A. and Rietdyk, S. and Prentice, S. and Prasad, S.",
volume="8",
number="4",
pages="179-184",
abstract="The balance control system of a group of healthy and fit, young and elderly subjects was studied during the initiation of stepping in one of three directions: forward, sideways, and backwards in response to a light cue. The performance of these movements requires shifting support from two to one foot, moving the centre of mass outside the initial base of support and creating a new support configuration. By recording and analysing the vertical ground reaction force beneath the subject's stepping foot, we were able to examine the two phases prior to limb lift-off for stepping: reaction time and weight transfer time. Both reaction time and weight transfer time increased with age: The elderly subjects had a proportionately larger increase in weight transfer time compared to the reaction time. The peak force generated showed an age by stepping direction effect: the elderly had a significantly lower peak force for the forwards stepping compared to the younger subjects. The larger increase in weight transfer results in a slower stepping response. Since a stepping task is often recruited to avoid a fall, the increase in response execution time can have undesirable consequences.<p /><p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0268-0033",
doi="10.1016/0268-0033(93)90012-7",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0268-0033(93)90012-7"
}