Stability control in older adults with asymmetrical load carrying when stepping down a curb

Abstract

We investigated the effect of asymmetric load carrying using different bag types with the dominant and non-dominant hands on upper limb coordination, walking adaptations, and stability control in a curb-descend task in older adults. Fourteen participants walked on a pathway with a 16-cm curb located in the middle. They walked without a load or asymmetrically carrying a load corresponding to 7% of their body mass. The weight was placed in two different bags (with and without strap) and carried by the dominant and non-dominant hands. The upper limb coordination analysis showed that the anti-phase pattern between right and left shoulder reduced considerably due to the almost motionless shoulder of the side carrying the load. The spatial-temporal walking parameters and curb negotiation variables were unaffected by load carriage. The margin of stability (MoS) was unchanged by load transportation in the AP direction. In the ML direction, taking the bag on the same side of the foot contacting the floor increased the MoS; however, when the load was incorporated into the COM model, the MoS did not differ anymore from the control condition. The changes in interlimb coordination reflected a strategy to prevent unexpected movements of the bag that could threaten body stability. Healthy older adults were able to predict the consequences of carrying a load and kept the MoS constant. They compensated for the disturbance caused by the transport of a relatively moderate load and performed the descending curb task successfully.

Keywords: Adaptive locomotion; Aging; Load transportation; Stability.