| Summary: | xi, 75 p. : ill. A print copy of this title is available through the UO Libraries under the call numbers: SCIENCE QP310.W3 C44 2008 === This study was performed to evaluate the sensitivity of using electromyography
(EMG) and joint moment to quantify muscular challenges in elderly adults. Twenty elderly
and young adults walked on level ground and crossed an obstacle. Resultant hip, knee, and
ankle joint moments and EMG data from muscles of the dominant leg were analyzed.
Older adults demonstrated significantly greater normalized EMG (N-EMG) magnitudes
than young adults in most muscles. However, only hip abductor moment demonstrated
significant group differences. Stepping over a higher obstacle resulted in greater N-EMG
magnitudes in all muscles. Leading limb knee extensor moment was found to significantly
decrease with increasing obstacle height, while N-EMGs of knee joint muscles increased.
Our findings suggest that N-EMG, which can better account for co-activation of agonist
and antagonist muscles, might be a more sensitive parameter than the joint moment in
detecting age- and task-related differences. === Adviser: Li-Shan Chou
|
|---|
