Gait and Postural Analysis in Healthy Young Adults and People with Parkinson's Disease
type: CreativeWork
description: Postural analysis is the study of how the position of the body in any mode interacts with internal and external forces. This type of analysis is typically used to assess potential abnormalities in the balance control system and to understand how the balance control system changes with time. However, compared to other medical fields of study, postural analysis is relatively new [1]. In fact, although widely used in clinical and research studies, postural assessment methods are scientifically inaccurate, and some data collection methods are relatively expensive. A better understanding of the human balance control system could lead to more accurate and less expensive postural assessment techniques. The human balance control system must continuously act because the human body is an inherently unstable system. In fact, gait and balance impairments lead to loss of mobility, falls, and a diminished quality of life. Advanced age, orthopedic and neurological conditions affect overall balance control, which leads to gait and balance impairment [1, 2]. In fact, disability, falls and increased mortality are all associated with insufficient balance control during gait and postural support [2].The ability to maintain stability is dependent on executing postural movements to control the temporal and spatial change in the center of mass of the body [3]. The inability to maintain this stability, results in falls and fall related injuries. Although the risk of falling increases with age and neurological condition, there is some risk of falling for adults of all ages and circumstance [4]. In fact, falling is one of the leading causes of accidental death in the United States [5]. In 2015, the total medical cost of falls older adults was $31.9 billion, and of that total $637 million of that cost was due to death [5]. One of the main causes of falls is a trip, which accounts for 35-53% of all falls and is responsible for 12-22% of hip fractures [6]. Therefore, an understanding of the pos…
abstract: Postural analysis is the study of how the position of the body in any mode interacts with internal and external forces. This type of analysis is typically used to assess potential abnormalities in the balance control system and to understand how the balance control system changes with time. However, compared to other medical fields of study, postural analysis is relatively new [1]. In fact, although widely used in clinical and research studies, postural assessment methods are scientifically inaccurate, and some data collection methods are relatively expensive. A better understanding of the human balance control system could lead to more accurate and less expensive postural assessment techniques. The human balance control system must continuously act because the human body is an inherently unstable system. In fact, gait and balance impairments lead to loss of mobility, falls, and a diminished quality of life. Advanced age, orthopedic and neurological conditions affect overall balance control, which leads to gait and balance impairment [1, 2]. In fact, disability, falls and increased mortality are all associated with insufficient balance control during gait and postural support [2].The ability to maintain stability is dependent on executing postural movements to control the temporal and spatial change in the center of mass of the body [3]. The inability to maintain this stability, results in falls and fall related injuries. Although the risk of falling increases with age and neurological condition, there is some risk of falling for adults of all ages and circumstance [4]. In fact, falling is one of the leading causes of accidental death in the United States [5]. In 2015, the total medical cost of falls older adults was $31.9 billion, and of that total $637 million of that cost was due to death [5]. One of the main causes of falls is a trip, which accounts for 35-53% of all falls and is responsible for 12-22% of hip fractures [6]. Therefore, an understanding of the pos…
author: Chen, Aisha Joy
keywords: Gait Initiation, Postural Perturbation, Quiet Standing, Biomedical Engineering and Bioengineering, Mathematics
date published: 2019-01-01T08:00:00Z
date modified: 2026-07-24T01:39:59Z
provider: Claremont Graduate University
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: Claremont Graduate University