Balance dysfunction effects on gait termination energetics

Planned gait termination strategies among healthy subjects (HS), subjects with bilateral vestibular hypofunction (BVH) and cerebellopathy (CB) were compared. Gait termination trials for 97 subjects (52 HS, 25 BVH and 20 CB) were analyzed over three phases: final stride, final step and onset of gait termination. Peak kinetic energy rate of change (kinetic power) for the upper body (HAT) during the final two steps, and center of gravity phase plane stability once the feet stopped moving was measured and compared among groups using ANOVA.;CB subjects transformed excess forward kinetic energy into M/L kinetic energy during final stride as a means of terminating gait. BVH subjects began gait termination at a relatively slower velocity but nevertheless had difficulty controlling lateral stability during the final two phases. Results indicate that analysis of HAT energetics and stability during gait termination objectively quantifies the movement dysfunction that is often described qualitatively as ataxia in the clinic setting.