Regulation of Whole-Body and Segmental Angular Momentum in Persons with Parkinson’s Disease on an Irregular Surface

Details

• Personal Author:
  Foreman KB ; Gomez NG ; Hunt M ; Merryweather AS
• Description:
  Background: Persons with Parkinson's disease have impaired motor control that increases their chance of falling when walking, especially on difficult terrains. This study investigated how persons with Parkinson's disease regulate their dynamic balance on a regular and an irregular surface. Methods: Nine participants with Parkinson's disease and nine healthy, age-matched control participants ambulated on both a regular and an irregular surface. Whole-body and segmental angular momenta were calculated using three-dimensional motion capture data. Major modes of variability between health groups on the two surfaces were investigated using principal component analysis, while differences within each health group between surfaces was investigated using statistical parametric mapping t-tests. Findings: Between groups, the Parkinson participants had greater sagittal, frontal, and transverse whole-body angular momentum on both surfaces, primarily following heel-strike, and the magnitude difference on the irregular surface was greater than on the regular surface. The greatest between group segmental differences on the irregular compared to the regular surface were the legs in the sagittal plane and the head/trunk/pelvis in the transverse plane, with the Parkinson group having greater magnitudes. The within-group comparison found the Parkinson participants had poorer regulation of whole-body angular momentum in the sagittal plane, while the healthy participants showed no consistent differences between surfaces. Interpretation: On an irregular surface, persons with Parkinson's disease exhibit poor control of dynamic balance in the frontal and sagittal planes. These results emphasize the need for weight transfer techniques and training in both the sagittal and frontal planes to maximize balance and reduce fall risk. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Accidental Falls Accidents Age Factors Biomechanical Phenomena Occupational Health Safety
• Keywords:
  Age Factors Author Keywords: Dynamic Balance Biomechanics Body Mechanics Falls Gait Older Adults Parkinson's Disease Parkinsons Disease Walking Surfaces
• ISSN:
  0268-0033
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  OSHA Region 8 ; Utah
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  99
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20066541
• Citation:
  Clin Biomech 2022 Oct; 99:105766
• Contact Point Address:
  Andrew S. Merryweather, Mechanical Engineering, University of Utah, 1495 E 100 S, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
• Email:
  a.merryweather@utah.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2023
• Performing Organization:
  University of Utah
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20050701
• Source Full Name:
  Clinical Biomechanics
• End Date:
  20280630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:49904c58204650eed8559e1911952072f9357a08298c4d7eed3aab6c044dabed426f0fe6e2820708461e5896c631685ef2c0175e43927b550838629c1fcfc681
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/231114/cdc_231114_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 2.40 MB ]