Relationship Between Head-Turn Gait Speed and Lateral Balance Function in Community-Dwelling Older Adults.
Harshvardhan Singh, Ozell Sanders, Sandy McCombe Waller and 4 others
PMID 28610969WHAT IT FOUND
Older adults with poor lateral balance slowed down significantly more when turning their heads while walking than when looking forward.
Head-turn gait speed was the strongest predictor of lateral balance stability, suggesting this simple observation may help identify fall risk.
Key findings
01Participants with low lateral balance stability had slower head-turn gait speed than those with high stability.
02Head-turn gait speed was the strongest predictor of lateral balance category in regression analysis.
03Deficits in gait speed, step length, and step width were greater during head-turn walking than forward walking in those with poor lateral balance.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
This is a cross-sectional study, so it shows an association between head-turn gait speed and lateral balance but does not prove that one causes the other or that head-turn speed predicts future falls. Data for the Timed Up and Go test and hip strength measures were missing for about 40% of participants because they were not collected in one of the two pooled studies. The study excluded people with cognitive impairment or who needed assistance to walk, so the findings do not apply to those populations.
Declared interests
The research was supported by the National Institutes of Health and the U.S. Government, but not by a commercial entity selling the treatments or devices used.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that head-turn gait speed has been proven to predict actual future falls. The study showed a strong relationship with lateral balance stability, but it did not track participants over time to see who fell.