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Background: The specific mechanisms responsible for age-related decline in forward stability control remain unclear. Previous work has suggested reactive control of net ground reaction force (GRF net ) eccentricity may be responsible for age-related challenges in mediolateral stability control during the restabilisation phase of forward compensatory stepping responses., Research Questions: Does reactive control of GRF net eccentricity play a role in managing forward stability control during the restabilisation phase of a forward stepping response to external balance perturbation?, Methods: Healthy younger (YA) (n = 20) and older adults (OA) (n = 20) were tethered to a rigid frame, via adjustable cable. Participants were released from a standardised initial forward lean and regained their balance using a single step. Whole-body motion analysis and four force platforms were utilised for data acquisition. Forward instability was quantified as centre of mass (COM) incongruity - the difference between the first local peak and final stable anterior COM positions. The extent of GRF net eccentricity was quantified as the sagittal-plane angle of divergence of the line of action of the GRF net relative to the COM. Two discrete points during restabilisation were examined (P1 and P2), which have been suggested to be indicative of proactive and reactive COM control, respectively. Age-related differences in magnitude, timing and trial-to-trial variability of kinematic and kinetic outcome variables were analysed using two-factor ANOVAs with repeated-measures., Results: OA exhibited greater COM incongruity magnitude and variability - both were reduced with trial-repetition. There were no age-related differences in the magnitude or timing of P2. Instead, OA exhibited a reduced magnitude of GRF net eccentricity at P1. There was a positive correlation between AP COM incongruity magnitude and P1 magnitude., Significance: Different from mediolateral stability control, the present results suggest that OA may experience forward stability control challenges as a function of insufficient preparatory lower limb muscle activation prior to foot-contact., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Age-related mediolateral instability during forward stepping reactions evoked by whole-body perturbation is believed to occur independent of the initial temporospatial parameters prior to step-contact. Recent research is beginning to explore the restabilisation phase, following step-contact, as the origin of such instability. This work sought to uncover potential mechanisms underlying age-related mediolateral instability during restabilisation by examining whole-body centre of mass (COM) kinematics and the orientation of the net ground reaction force relative to the COM. Healthy younger (n=20) and older adults (n=20) were anchored to a rigid frame, via adjustable cable. After establishing a standardised initial forward lean, cable release occurred with pseudorandom timing. Participants regained their balance using a single self-selected step. The potential for lateral instability was quantified by COM kinematics. The angle of divergence of the line of action of the net ground reaction force relative to the COM was quantified and examined at three discrete points during restabilisation, as indices of COM control. Age-related differences in magnitude and trial-to-trial variability were analysed. Older adults exhibited increased ML COM incongruity and trial-to-trial variability, which were reduced with trial repetition. Older adults required an increased time to reorient the net ground reaction force, which was correlated with the increased lateral COM displacement during restabilisation. The present results support the idea that age-related mediolateral instability occurs during restabilisation and may be linked to the reactive control of the orientation of the net ground reaction force with respect to the centre of mass., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The ability to respond quickly and accurately to an external perturbation with a stepping response is critical to avoid falls and this ability is impaired in older, compared to young adults. However, little is known about whether young and older adults improve compensatory stepping responses similarly with practice. This study compares the extent to which young and older adults can improve, retain, and generalize postural compensatory steps in response to external perturbations. Centre of mass displacement, step characteristics and lower leg muscle activation latencies were measured during one training session of compensatory stepping in response to large surface translations in 13 young and 12 older adults. Retention was tested 24 hours later. Older adults decreased their centre of mass displacements over repeated exposure to large surface translations in both the anterior and posterior directions and retained these improvements. In contrast, young adults only showed adaptation and retention of forward stepping responses. Neither group was able to generalize improvements in stepping responses across directions. These results suggest step training may be beneficial for older adults, however additional, multidirectional training may be necessary to facilitate generalization of postural stepping responses for any direction of a slip or trip.

The ability to respond quickly and accurately to an external perturbation with a stepping response is critical to avoid falls and this ability is impaired in older, compared to young adults. However, little is known about whether young and older adults improve compensatory stepping responses similarly with practice. This study compares the extent to which young and older adults can improve, retain, and generalize postural compensatory steps in response to external perturbations. Centre of mass displacement, step characteristics and lower leg muscle activation latencies were measured during one training session of compensatory stepping in response to large surface translations in 13 young and 12 older adults. Retention was tested 24 h later. Older adults decreased their center of mass displacements over repeated exposure to large surface translations in both the anterior and posterior directions and retained these improvements. In contrast, young adults only showed adaptation and retention of forward stepping responses. Neither group was able to generalize improvements in stepping responses across directions. These results suggest step training may be beneficial for older adults, however additional, multidirectional training may be necessary to facilitate generalization of postural stepping responses for any direction of a slip or trip. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]