Does local dynamic stability during unperturbed walking predict the response to balance perturbations? An examination across age and falls history.

The study included only 11 people in each group, and the young adult data were reanalyzed from an earlier study. Older fallers were defined by self-reporting at least one fall in the last year, so the findings may not apply to people with recurrent falls. The outcomes were laboratory walking stability measures, not real-world falls. The virtual hallway perturbation was optical flow, so results may not apply to mechanical perturbations such as surface translations. Trials were short, so the study examined acute responses and could not assess adaptation to repeated perturbations. Older fallers walked slower than young adults; speed adjustment did not change outcomes, but the same speed was not prescribed for all subjects. People with BMI 30 or higher, sedentary lifestyle, orthopedic or neurological conditions, and dizziness-causing medication were excluded. Time series analyses can be sensitive to group variability, and surrogate or phase randomization analyses were not performed.

The supplied text does not include a conflicts-of-interest declaration. Publication types list NIH extramural and non-U.S. government research support.

Do not use normal walking stability as a stand-alone fall-risk screen for older adults. The study tested response to optical flow perturbations, not actual falls, and baseline local dynamic stability did not significantly predict perturbation response in older non-fallers or older fallers.