Presenter Type
UNO Graduate Student (Doctoral)
Major/Field of Study
Biomechanics
Author ORCID Identifier
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1345-666X
Advisor Information
Aaron Likens
Location
CEC RM #201/205/209
Presentation Type
Poster
Start Date
22-3-2024 10:30 AM
End Date
22-3-2024 11:45 AM
Abstract
Inter-Joint Variability and Age-Related Changes in Human Walking
Mehrnoush Haghighatnejad1*, Tyler M. Wiles1, Seung Kyeom Kim1, Nick Stergiou1,2, Aaron D. Likens1
1Department of Biomechanics, University of Nebraska at Omaha
2Department of Physical Education and Sport Science, Aristotle University, Thessaloniki, Greece
*Corresponding author’s email: mhaghighatnejad@unomaha.edu
Presentation Preference: Poster
Humans routinely perform a variety of activities such as walking, running, driving, and typing, all of which require coordination among different body joints. For instance, walking and running involve rhythmic movements of the arms and legs. The involvement of the upper limbs in walking and running is essential for maintaining proper gait patterns, optimizing stability, and minimizing energy consumption. Thus, understanding the relations between joint movements in the human body is crucial for comprehending the mechanics of actions, such as walking. Based on the above, our hypothesis is that during walking: (1) Different joints (lumbar, thoracic, torso, shoulder, elbow, hip, knee, and ankle joints) in the human body, under healthy conditions, exhibit correlated variability in their range of motion during walking; (2) With age, the multi-joint correlations will become reduced. To test our hypothesis, we recruited 99 healthy adults divided into three groups: 35 young adults (ages 19-35), 32 middle-aged adults (ages 36-55), and 32 older adults (ages 56-82) as part of the NONAN GaitPrint project. Each participant completed 18, 4-minute walking trials at a self-selected pace on a 200-meter indoor track. The participants were equipped with inertial measurement units to track their joint motions. In each trial, we computed the range of motion (ROM) per stride for all joint angles, and calculated the Hurst exponent from the ROM time series. Hurst is a measure of long-range correlation variability. Correlations of the Hurst exponent across all joints were compared. Our results revealed that, on average, there were weak, or no correlations (0.11 ± 0.17) between each combination of joints. The maximum correlation between the two joints’ Hurst exponent was 0.72 (lateral torso flexion and lateral lumbar flexion) and 0.56 (lateral torso flexion and lateral thoracic flexion joints). Moreover, a significant effect of aging was observed on the correlation among all joints (p < 0.05), transitioning from a positive to a negative correlation with aging. This transition implies that in young, healthy adults, increased variability structure in one joint likely coincides with equally high variability in other joints. However, with aging, an inverse relationship emerges, suggesting that joint ROM variabilities become less equivalent across the body.
INTER-JOINT VARIABILITY AND AGE-RELATED CHANGES IN HUMAN WALKING
CEC RM #201/205/209
Inter-Joint Variability and Age-Related Changes in Human Walking
Mehrnoush Haghighatnejad1*, Tyler M. Wiles1, Seung Kyeom Kim1, Nick Stergiou1,2, Aaron D. Likens1
1Department of Biomechanics, University of Nebraska at Omaha
2Department of Physical Education and Sport Science, Aristotle University, Thessaloniki, Greece
*Corresponding author’s email: mhaghighatnejad@unomaha.edu
Presentation Preference: Poster
Humans routinely perform a variety of activities such as walking, running, driving, and typing, all of which require coordination among different body joints. For instance, walking and running involve rhythmic movements of the arms and legs. The involvement of the upper limbs in walking and running is essential for maintaining proper gait patterns, optimizing stability, and minimizing energy consumption. Thus, understanding the relations between joint movements in the human body is crucial for comprehending the mechanics of actions, such as walking. Based on the above, our hypothesis is that during walking: (1) Different joints (lumbar, thoracic, torso, shoulder, elbow, hip, knee, and ankle joints) in the human body, under healthy conditions, exhibit correlated variability in their range of motion during walking; (2) With age, the multi-joint correlations will become reduced. To test our hypothesis, we recruited 99 healthy adults divided into three groups: 35 young adults (ages 19-35), 32 middle-aged adults (ages 36-55), and 32 older adults (ages 56-82) as part of the NONAN GaitPrint project. Each participant completed 18, 4-minute walking trials at a self-selected pace on a 200-meter indoor track. The participants were equipped with inertial measurement units to track their joint motions. In each trial, we computed the range of motion (ROM) per stride for all joint angles, and calculated the Hurst exponent from the ROM time series. Hurst is a measure of long-range correlation variability. Correlations of the Hurst exponent across all joints were compared. Our results revealed that, on average, there were weak, or no correlations (0.11 ± 0.17) between each combination of joints. The maximum correlation between the two joints’ Hurst exponent was 0.72 (lateral torso flexion and lateral lumbar flexion) and 0.56 (lateral torso flexion and lateral thoracic flexion joints). Moreover, a significant effect of aging was observed on the correlation among all joints (p < 0.05), transitioning from a positive to a negative correlation with aging. This transition implies that in young, healthy adults, increased variability structure in one joint likely coincides with equally high variability in other joints. However, with aging, an inverse relationship emerges, suggesting that joint ROM variabilities become less equivalent across the body.