Adaptive locomotion through narrow space in older adults

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25560327
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Sports science
• Research Institution: Tokyo Metropolitan University
• Principal Investigator: HIGUCHI Takahiro 首都大学東京, 人間健康科学研究科, 准教授 (30433171)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: 歩行 / 高齢者 / 障害物回避 / 適応

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the adaptability of older adults to altered bodily states and to modify their locomotor patterns in response to the relationship between body and environment. For this purpose, older adults (aged > 65 years old) were asked to walk through an aperture of various widths while holding a long bar without touching the frame of the aperture. The results showed that healthy older participants without symptoms of dementia were generally comparable with young adults in terms of safe passage. However, when they were asked to walk through an aperture with minimum body rotations, older participants showed greater frequency of collision with the frame of the aperture. This tendency was more evident for older participants with lower mobility.

Free Research Field

実験心理学