Abstract
Fall accident is a growing concern for the aging workforce. Reducing fall injuries has been identified as a primary strategic goal in the National Occupational Research Agenda. The objective of the study was to investigate the interaction effect between aging and a novel Automated Walkway Surface Perturbation Training (AWSPT) on kinematic gait asymmetry. Five older adults and five gender-matched younger adults were involved in a laboratory study. Three- dimensional linear accelerations of left and right knee joints were measured via two Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs) during both before and after training sessions. Gait asymmetry was quantified by the percentage difference between peak knee resultant acceleration normalized to the average peak knee resultant acceleration. The results indicated significant training effect on Gait Asymmetry Index (GAI). Neither the interaction effect nor the aging effect was found to be significant. In conclusion, the current study provided evidence supporting the effectiveness of AWSPT in improving gait symmetry during normal walking. Such findings support the potential application of AWSPT in reducing risk of falling as well as in gait rehabilitation.
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