Presenter Type

UNO Graduate Student (Doctoral)

Major/Field of Study

Biomechanics

Other

Mechanical Engineer M.Eng.

Advisor Information

Assistant Professor

Location

CEC RM #128

Presentation Type

Oral Presentation

Start Date

22-3-2024 10:30 AM

End Date

22-3-2024 11:45 AM

Abstract

NEGATIVE IMPACT OF AGING ON GAIT AUTOCORRELATION: A MIXED-EFFECTS ANALYSIS OF STRIDE INTERVAL DYNAMICS

Theodore A. Deligiannis1*, Tyler M. Wiles1, Seung Kyeom Kim1, Nick Stergiou1,2, Aaron D. Likens1

1Department of Biomechanics, University of Nebraska at Omaha

*Corresponding author’s email: tdeligiannis@unomaha.edu

Presentation preference: Podium

Traditional gait metrics, like speed, cadence, coordination, as well as non-linear measures, appear related to Timed Up and Go (TUG). Timed Up and Go is a clinical measurement related to physical, socioeconomic, and psychological parameters, as well as overall health. TUG can be used as a health evaluation tool for adults older than 60, and we predicted that TUG would increase with age and degraded gait autocorrelation. Data were taken from the NONAN GaitPrint database. Two linear mixed effect models were used to characterize how the Hurst exponent changes with age, and in the subset of older adults, the degree to which the H predicts TUG scores, after controlling for age. The model relating TUG and H failed to reveal any reliable relationship. The model relating age and H revealed a significant negative relationship between age and the Hurst exponent (Estimate = -0.24, Std. Error = 0.09, df = 81.99, t = -2.78, p = 0.00669). This suggests that a 1 SD (17.35 years) change in age produces ~.24 SD (.13) reduction in H, indicating the degree of autocorrelation in stride intervals decreases over time. The significant negative association between age and the H of stride intervals suggests that older individuals tend to have less autocorrelation in their stride intervals over time. This could imply a decrease in gait stability or predictability with aging, potentially increasing the risk of mobility issues or falls. Future work will need to address other possible sources of individual differences to further elucidate variability in H across the lifespan. This study advances our understanding of how aging affects gait stability, as evidenced by the observed decrease in gait autocorrelation with age. By highlighting the role of individual differences in gait dynamics, it underscores the importance of personalized assessments in identifying and addressing age-related changes in gait. The findings have potential implications for developing targeted interventions aimed at enhancing mobility and reducing fall risk among older adults. This project was supported by NSF 212491, NIH P20GM109090 & R01NS114282, University of Nebraska Collaboration Initiative, the Center for Research in Human Movement Variability at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, NASA EPSCoR, IARPA.

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Mar 22nd, 10:30 AM Mar 22nd, 11:45 AM

NEGATIVE IMPACT OF AGING ON GAIT AUTOCORRELATION: A MIXED-EFFECTS ANALYSIS OF STRIDE INTERVAL DYNAMICS

CEC RM #128

NEGATIVE IMPACT OF AGING ON GAIT AUTOCORRELATION: A MIXED-EFFECTS ANALYSIS OF STRIDE INTERVAL DYNAMICS

Theodore A. Deligiannis1*, Tyler M. Wiles1, Seung Kyeom Kim1, Nick Stergiou1,2, Aaron D. Likens1

1Department of Biomechanics, University of Nebraska at Omaha

*Corresponding author’s email: tdeligiannis@unomaha.edu

Presentation preference: Podium

Traditional gait metrics, like speed, cadence, coordination, as well as non-linear measures, appear related to Timed Up and Go (TUG). Timed Up and Go is a clinical measurement related to physical, socioeconomic, and psychological parameters, as well as overall health. TUG can be used as a health evaluation tool for adults older than 60, and we predicted that TUG would increase with age and degraded gait autocorrelation. Data were taken from the NONAN GaitPrint database. Two linear mixed effect models were used to characterize how the Hurst exponent changes with age, and in the subset of older adults, the degree to which the H predicts TUG scores, after controlling for age. The model relating TUG and H failed to reveal any reliable relationship. The model relating age and H revealed a significant negative relationship between age and the Hurst exponent (Estimate = -0.24, Std. Error = 0.09, df = 81.99, t = -2.78, p = 0.00669). This suggests that a 1 SD (17.35 years) change in age produces ~.24 SD (.13) reduction in H, indicating the degree of autocorrelation in stride intervals decreases over time. The significant negative association between age and the H of stride intervals suggests that older individuals tend to have less autocorrelation in their stride intervals over time. This could imply a decrease in gait stability or predictability with aging, potentially increasing the risk of mobility issues or falls. Future work will need to address other possible sources of individual differences to further elucidate variability in H across the lifespan. This study advances our understanding of how aging affects gait stability, as evidenced by the observed decrease in gait autocorrelation with age. By highlighting the role of individual differences in gait dynamics, it underscores the importance of personalized assessments in identifying and addressing age-related changes in gait. The findings have potential implications for developing targeted interventions aimed at enhancing mobility and reducing fall risk among older adults. This project was supported by NSF 212491, NIH P20GM109090 & R01NS114282, University of Nebraska Collaboration Initiative, the Center for Research in Human Movement Variability at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, NASA EPSCoR, IARPA.