Citation

Komisar V, Maki BE, Novak AC. Appl. Ergon. 2019; 81: e102873.

Affiliation

Toronto Rehabilitation Institute - University Health Network, 13-000, 550 University Avenue, Toronto, ON, M5G 2A2, Canada; Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of Toronto, 500 University Avenue - Room 160, Toronto, ON, M5G 1V7, Canada; Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education, University of Toronto, 55 Harbord Street, Toronto, ON, M5S 2W8, Canada.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.apergo.2019.102873

PMID

31422250

Abstract

We investigated the effect of handrail height on the timing and speed of reach-to-grasp balance reactions during slope descent, in fourteen younger and thirteen older adults. Participants walked along an 8° slope mounted to a robotic platform. Platform perturbations evoked reach-to-grasp reactions. Handrail height did not significantly affect handrail contact time (i.e., time from perturbation onset to handrail contact) or movement time (i.e., time from EMG latency to handrail contact). Participants appeared to compensate for the increased hand-handrail distance with higher rails via increased peak upward hand speed, and decreased vertical handrail overshoot. Aging was associated with slower EMG latency, reduced hand acceleration time, and increased hand deceleration time. Our findings suggest that participants were not disadvantaged by higher handrails from reach-to-grasp timing or speed perspectives, and that other metrics (e.g., center-of-mass control after grasping) may be more important when evaluating handrail designs for balance recovery.

Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Language: en

Keywords

Aging; Balance recovery; Falls; Handrail design; Injury prevention