| Description |
Background: There are minimal studies that focus on the margin of stability (MoS) as a whole when looking at dynamic stability in gait for individuals with mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). Research on turning gait is important since it is common during daily life and has a high risk for falls and fall-related injuries. Methods: This study investigates the effects of mTBI on gait stability when completing a turn. All participants completed a custom clinical turning course for single-task (ST) and dual-task (DT) conditions. A ST consisted of a motor-only task (i.e., walking), while a DT consisted of a motor and cognitive (i.e., serial 3 subtraction) task. Kinematic data was recorded with inertial sensors (ADPM, inc.) worn by the participants. Linear mixed models assessed centripetal acceleration between each group. This was done by stratifying each limb and angular velocity. Findings: Participants with acute mTBI had a centripetal acceleration closer to zero with a decrease in angular velocity on a single task condition. There were no differences between healthy controls and mTBI participants during the dual task condition. Interpretation: People with acute mTBI will adopt a conservative strategy during turning gait in that they will lean less into a turn compared to a healthy control. During the ST condition, healthy controls seem to be more agile since they tend to lean more into the turn compared to the mTBI group. Once a cognitive task was added to the dual task condition, the healthy controls exhibited a similar behavior to those with mTBI. |
