Abstract
The ability to travel over and navigate through various terrains is an hallmark of legged locomotion. Visually guided selection and implementation of proactive adaptive strategies defines this versatility in locomotor behaviour. Sensori-motor changes with age can have a detrimental effect on this ability as evidenced by increases in falls attributed to tripping and slipping. We have been exploring how age influences visual perception and the locomotor act. Results from several studies are discussed to highlight the major issues that need to be addressed and characterise and interpret the changes observed in locomotor adaptive capabilities of the elderly. These results illustrate the following differences between the fit and healthy elderly and the young. The time demands on the visual system for guiding locomotion show a two fold increase for the elderly. Selection of alternate foot placement is guided by similar rules for the younger and older subjects. Elderly subjects are less successful in implementing a change in locomotor pattern within a step cycle. They adopt a more conservative strategy when travelling over uneven terrains. These results explain the observed epidemiological data on falls in the elderly and highlight deterioration in performance and recruitment of useful adaptive strategies. Adaptive strategies that are due to fear of falling may be more amendable to intervention using exercise programs. These exercise regimes should expose the elderly to various environments and force them to adapt their locomotor patterns.
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Patla, A.E. (1993). Age-Related Changes in Visually Guided Locomotion Over Different Terrains: Major Issues. In: Stelmach, G.E., Hömberg, V. (eds) Sensorimotor Impairment in the Elderly. NATO ASI Series, vol 75. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-1976-4_16
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-1976-4_16
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
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