Using a Portable Pressure-Sensing Walkway to Detect Age-Related Alternations in Foot Integrated Pressure During Multiple Obstacle Negotiation

Abstract

Multiple obstacle avoidance induces a higher potential of falls among older adults. This study attempted to add other important measurements by investigating the pressure-related gait parameters when stepping over multiple obstacles on a portable pressure-sensing walkway. Twenty-six young and 26 older participants were recruited in this study. A portable pressure-sensing Zeno walkway and cyclogram intersection point analysis method was introduced to collect both spatial–temporal and pressure-related gait parameters. Older adults significantly reduced foot integrated pressure of the leading leg when stepping over the second obstacle compared with young adults (p = .0078). A significantly larger cyclogram intersection point shift in medial–lateral direction was found in older adults than in young adults (p = .024) when stepping over the second obstacle, especially in the lateral direction. The results of this study showed that a pressure-sensing walking combined with cyclogram intersection point method could detect foot pressure distribution differences caused by aging.