Minimum toe clearance: probing the neural control of locomotion

摘要: Minimum toe clearance (MTC) occurs during a highly dynamic phase of the gait cycle and is associated with highest risk unintentional contact obstacles or ground. Age, cognitive function, attention visual feedback affect foot but how these factors interact to influence MTC control not fully understood. We measured in 121 healthy individuals aged 20-80 under four treadmill walking conditions; normal walking, lower field restriction two Stroop colour/word naming tasks difficulty levels. Competition for attentional resources from task resulted significantly mean older adults, difficult higher frequency extremely low values subsequently an increased modelled probability tripping this group. While adults responded by markedly skewing distributions towards values, condition was also frequent, values. reveal task-specific, age-dependent patterns adults. Age-related differences are most pronounced heavy, distracting load. Analysis critically-low dual-task may have utility evaluation locomotor fall patients motor deficits.