Analysis of veering during gait in blind individuals.

BACKGROUND: Veering occurs during blind walking, which causes individuals to deviate from crosswalks or fall off platforms. Despite being linked to static postural control, the relationship between veering and gait function (gait variability and plantar pressure), which is presumed to be related to dynamic postural control, has yet to be fully understood. RESEARCH QUESTION: How do gait variability and plantar pressure affect veering? METHODS: This experiment involved a walking task in which 11 blind adults were instructed to walk along a straight path using a white cane. We measured the veering values and analyzed the relationship between gait variability and plantar pressure. RESULTS: One participant with a particularly severe veering tendency was excluded from the analysis. Based on the veering characteristics of the participants, the walking trajectories were classified as veering to the left (14 trials) or the right (14 trials) sides. Correlation analysis showed no significant correlation between the veering value and gait variability (vertical, lateral, and anterior-posterior). Plantar pressure (the ball of the fifth toe and the total) was significantly negatively correlate with the veering value. In contrast, the plantar pressure results for the participant who was excluded showed a different characteristic. SIGNIFICANCE: We hypothesized that blind individuals would exhibit dynamic postural control to stay on a straight path by increasing the plantar pressure on the ball of the fifth toe and the total pressure on the opposite foot when veering occurs. However, this adaptation was not observed in a blind individual with severe veering tendencies.

Risk factors for falls in terms of attention during gait in community-dwelling older adults.

AIM: We examined factors related to conditions of life function and falls, including eye movements and gait variability, in community-dwelling older adults in Japan. METHODS: Participants were 82 older adults (21 men, 61 women, mean age 76.1 years). We measured eye movements and gait variability during walking, and cognitive, attentional and life function. We compared two groups according to their fall history, and used a multiple logistic regression analysis to determine its relevance. RESULTS: Fixation time, which was estimated from eye movements during obstacle crossing, and gait variability (vertical) were significantly associated with falls. There was also a significant correlation between fixation time and gait variability during obstacle crossing. In other words, the higher the gait variability in older adults, the higher the risk of falls, which was due to reduced attention estimated from eye movements during obstacle crossing that required obstacle avoidance. CONCLUSIONS: These results show that poor attention during gait is a critical risk factor for falls in community-dwelling older adults. For fall prevention, it is necessary to promote exercises for attention, and to maintain an older adult-friendly pedestrian environment. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2018; 18: 1267-1271.