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Analysis Of Gait Characteristics In Mentally Handicapped Individuals, Prakriti Parijat, Jian Liu, Thurmon E. Lockhart, Courtney Haynes
Analysis Of Gait Characteristics In Mentally Handicapped Individuals, Prakriti Parijat, Jian Liu, Thurmon E. Lockhart, Courtney Haynes
Jian Liu
Physical and motor dysfunctions in mentally handicapped individuals predispose them to a higher risk of slip and fall accidents. It is estimated that over 60 million people are currently suffering with some level of developmentally related cognitive impairment (American Disability Act ADA, 2000). Mental retardation occurs in 2.5-3% of the general population. About 6-7.5 million mentally retarded individuals live in the United States alone (ADA, 2000). Slip induced fall accidents are a primary source of injury in people with mental retardation (MR). Often, the incidence of falls among this population is compounded by other disabilities such as autism, seizure, and …
Local Dynamic Stability Associated With Load Carrying, Jian Liu, Thurmon E. Lockhart
Local Dynamic Stability Associated With Load Carrying, Jian Liu, Thurmon E. Lockhart
Jian Liu
Objectives: Load carrying tasks are recognized as one of the primary occupational factors leading to slip and fall injuries. Nevertheless, the mechanisms associated with load carrying and walking stability remain illusive. The objective of the current study was to apply local dynamic stability measure in walking while carrying a load, and to investigate the possible adaptive gait stability changes. Methods: Current study involved 25 young adults in a biomechanics research laboratory. One tri-axial accelerometer was used to measure three-dimensional low back acceleration during continuous treadmill walking. Local dynamic stability was quantified by the maximum Lyapunov exponent (maxLE) from a nonlinear …