2007 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary
Displacement of body's center of gravity during walking in elderly people
| Project/Area Number |
18500498
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Section | 一般 |
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| Research Field |
Sports science
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| Research Institution | Osaka University of Health and Sport Sciences |
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Principal Investigator |
KANEKO Masahiro Osaka University of Health and Sport Sciences, School of health and sport sciences, Professor (00067232)
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| Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) |
ITO Akira Osaka University of Health and Sport Sciences, School of health and sport sciences, Professor (80067248)
FUCHIMOTO Takafumi Osaka University of Health and Sport Sciences, School of health and sport sciences, Professor (90133537)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2006 – 2007
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| Keywords | Walking / Balance / Elderly people / Physical exercise / Physical fitness |
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| Research Abstract |
Movement of the center of gravity (COG) of the body during free walking was analyzed three-dimensionally in 25 elderly (G-old) and 25 young adult (G-yng) subjects. Analysis was performed using a three-dimensional method with 2 video cameras (60 fps) and a computer. COG movement was determined using the model described by Braune and Fischer (1899-1904). After subtracting average speed, COG locus projected on each of 3 dimensional planes (sagittal, frontal, horizontal) showed the subject as if walking on a treadmill In the time course of COG during 1 complete cycle (2 steps), G-yng demonstrated well-balanced sideward movements, whereas G-old tended to show unbalanced COG movements with a shifted locus and delayed forward movements. The vertical movements of COG for both groups were synchronized when the time of 1 swing tended to be smaller in G-old than G-yng, whose trend did not change even when body height was considered (G-old<G-yng). The amount of vertical movement was positively correlated to the balance test result, while cadence correlated negatively with forward displacement during 1 walking cycle. From these results it was concluded that COG movement during walking tends to be unstable in elderly individuals as compared with young adults.
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