An observational study of foot lifts asymmetry during obstacle avoidance
Background: Specific information regarding obstacle-clearance strategies used by community-dwelling young and elderly is scant in the literature, and physical barriers encountered in real-life situations have not been used in most of the studies. Aim: The aim of this study is to determine foot lift...
Main Authors: | , |
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Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Thieme Medical and Scientific Publishers Pvt. Ltd.
2012-09-01
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Series: | Journal of Neurosciences in Rural Practice |
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | http://www.thieme-connect.de/DOI/DOI?10.4103/0976-3147.102614 |
Summary: | Background: Specific information regarding obstacle-clearance strategies used by community-dwelling young and elderly is scant in the literature, and physical barriers encountered in real-life situations have not been used in most of the studies. Aim: The aim of this study is to determine foot lift asymmetry during obstacle avoidance in young and elderly subjects. Settings and Design: This was an observational study. Materials and Methods: Thirty elderly and 30 young individuals were taken for the study. All the subjects were evaluated using different scales and foot lift asymmetry was measured on a walkway using three obstacles of different heights. Results: The mean and standard deviation (SD) value of the asymmetric index of the young was 3.25±0.28 and the mean and SD value of the asymmetric index of the elderly was 3.53±0.47. The asymmetric index of the elderly population was found to be higher than that of the younger population. Conclusion: The asymmetric index of the elderly population was found to be higher than that of the younger population, though it is not clinically significant. |
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ISSN: | 0976-3147 0976-3155 |