Variability and Specificity in Reactive Stabilization Movements to Diverse Slip Perturbations

Recent research on slips has shown that use of perturbation training to improve specific motor skills to resist slips can vastly reduce falls. However, these interventions have only addressed slips occurring at heel-strike, and not the diverse range of slipping disturbances presented by a complex environment. This project will focus on slips that occur across the gait cycle, and the reactive stabilization movements that follow. Participants from two age groups will be enrolled: younger (19 - 35 years of age) and older (65-79 years of age). Each participant will participate in 3 visits within the span of 1 week. On the initial visit, participants will perform informed consent, have demographic and body measurement information collected and complete medical and physical activity questionnaires. Upper and lower body strength will be measured using a hand-held dynamometer during the first and last visits. On each of the three visits, subjects will perform a gait variability assessment followed by a diverse slip perturbation assessment. Participants will complete four slips in each of early, middle, and late stance on each visit. Measures of falls, slip severity, and reactive stabilization movements will be calculated.