@article{ref1,
title="Expectation of an upcoming large postural perturbation influences the recovery stepping response and outcome",
journal="Gait and posture",
year="2014",
author="Pater, Mackenzie L. and Rosenblatt, Noah J. and Grabiner, Mark D.",
volume="41",
number="1",
pages="335-337",
abstract="Tripping during locomotion, the leading cause of falls in older adults, generally occurs without prior warning and often while performing a secondary task. Prior warning can alter the state of physiological preparedness and beneficially influence the response to the perturbation. Previous studies have examined how altering the initial &quot;preparedness&quot; for an upcoming perturbation can affect kinematic responses following small disturbances that did not require a stepping response to restore dynamic stability. The purpose of this study was to examine how expectation affected fall outcome and recovery response kinematics following a large, treadmill-delivered perturbation simulating a trip and requiring at least one recovery step to avoid a fall. Following the perturbation, 47% of subjects fell when they were not expecting the perturbation whereas 12% fell when they were aware that the perturbation would occur &quot;sometime in the next minute&quot;. The between-group differences were accompanied by slower reaction times in the non-expecting group (p<0.01). Slower reaction times were associated with kinematics that have previously been shown to increase the likelihood of falling following a laboratory-induced trip. The results demonstrate the importance of considering the context under which recovery responses are assessed, and further, gives insight to the context during which task-specific perturbation training is administered.<p /><p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0966-6362",
doi="10.1016/j.gaitpost.2014.10.026",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.gaitpost.2014.10.026"
}