Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Identification Of Functional Parameters For The Classification Of Older Female Fallers And Prediction Of ‘First-Time’ Fallers, Niklas König Ignasiak

Physical Therapy Faculty Articles and Research

Falls remain a challenge for ageing societies. Strong evidence indicates that a previous fall is the strongest single screening indicator for a subsequent fall and the need for assessing fall risk without accounting for fall history is therefore imperative. Testing in three functional domains (using a total 92 measures) were completed in 84 older women (60–85 years of age), including muscular control, standing balance, and mean and variability of gait. Participants were retrospectively classified as fallers (n = 38) or non-fallers (n = 42) and additionally in a prospective manner to identify first-time fallers (FTFs) (n = 6) within a …

Fall Risk Prediction Using Wearable Wireless Sensors, Thurmon Lockhart, Chris Frame, Rahul Soangra, John Lach

Physical Therapy Faculty Articles and Research

Wearable wireless sensors and nonlinear dynamics identify postural characteristics relevant to balance control and dynamic stability, revealing predictive risk of falls among older adults.

Classifying Lower Extremity Muscle Fatigue During Walking Using Machine Learning And Inertial Sensors, Jian Zhang, Thurmon Lockhart, Rahul Soangra

Physical Therapy Faculty Articles and Research

Fatigue in lower extremity musculature is associated with decline in postural stability, motor performance and alters normal walking patterns in human subjects. Automated recognition of lower extremity muscle fatigue condition may be advantageous in early detection of fall and injury risks. Supervised machine learning methods such as Support Vector Machines (SVM) have been previously used for classifying healthy and pathological gait patterns and also for separating old and young gait patterns. In this study we explore the classification potential of SVM in recognition of gait patterns utilizing an inertial measurement unit associated with lower extremity muscular fatigue. Both kinematic and …

Trunk Coordination In Dancers And Non-Dancers, Danielle N. Jarvis, Jo Armour Smith, Kornelia Kulig

Physical Therapy Faculty Articles and Research

Variability, or how a task changes across trials, may reveal differences between athletes of differing skill levels. The purpose of this study was to examine trunk and lower extremity (LE) single joint kinematic variability and inter-segmental coordination variability in dancers and non-dancers during bipedal vertical dance jumps (sautés). Twenty healthy females, ten with no formal dance training and ten professional dancers, performed 20 consecutive sautés. Single joint kinematic variability was assessed using mean standard deviation of angular displacement, and inter-segmental coordination variability was assessed using angular deviation of the coupling angle between segments. Within the context of the standard error …

Potential For Using Smartphone Accelerometers In Non-Laboratory Environments, Rahul Soangra, Thurmon Lockhart, Christopher W. Frames, Jian Zhang, Seong Hyun Moon, Jongsoon Park

Physical Therapy Faculty Articles and Research

In recent years, there has been rising interest in using accelerometers as an alternative instrument to measure the center of pressure. Accelerometers are inexpensive, small, sensitive, and can be readily used in non-laboratory environments. In addition to this, smartphones with built-in accelerometers add to their capability with real-time processing of data from sensors. Clinicians and researchers are currently in disagreement from whether these measurements provide the same physiological information about the participant’s balance. In this study, twelve participants were asked to wear smartphone on their right ASIS using a belt clip and stand still on the forceplate. The data was …

Agreement In Gait Speed From Smartphone And Stopwatch For Five Meter Walk In Laboratory And Clinical Environments, Rahul Soangra, Thurmon E. Lockhart

Physical Therapy Faculty Articles and Research

Gait speed is suggested as an independent predictor of post-operative morbidity and mortality in elderly cardiovascular disease (CVD) patients. Society of thoracic surgeons has recently classified gait speed as the only important indicator of health for CVD patients. It has been seen that patients with slow gait speed above 70 years of age, taking more than 6 seconds to walk 5 meters are particularly at high risk for adverse outcomes. Twelve young participants walked in their self-selected, slow and fast speed with five reflective markers at sternum and heels and toes of both feet in laboratory environment. A smartphone was …

The Influence Of Hip Strength On Lower-Limb, Pelvis, And Trunk Kinematics And Coordination Patterns During Walking And Hopping In Healthy Women, Jo Armour Smith, John M. Popovich, Kornelia Kulig

Physical Therapy Faculty Articles and Research

Study Design

Cross-sectional laboratory study.

Objectives

To compare peak lower-limb, pelvis, and trunk kinematics and interjoint and intersegmental coordination in women with strong and weak hip muscle performance.

Background

Persons with lower extremity musculoskeletal disorders often demonstrate a combination of weak hip musculature and altered kinematics during weight-bearing dynamic tasks. However, the association between hip strength and kinematics independent of pathology or pain is unclear.

Methods

Peak hip extensor and abductor torques were measured in 150 healthy young women. Of these, 10 fit the criteria for the strong group and 9 for the weak group, representing those with the strongest …