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Development of displacement of centre of mass during independent walking in children
Author(s) -
MSc Frédéric Dierick,
PT Caroline Lefebvre,
Van Den Hecke Adélaïde,
Detrembleur Christine
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
developmental medicine and child neurology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.658
H-Index - 143
eISSN - 1469-8749
pISSN - 0012-1622
DOI - 10.1111/j.1469-8749.2004.tb01011.x
Subject(s) - displacement (psychology) , body height , medicine , rehabilitation , age groups , young adult , physical therapy , body weight , psychology , demography , gerontology , sociology , psychotherapist
The aims of this study were to assess the characteristics of three‐dimensional displacement of the centre of mass of the body ( CM b ) during walking in healthy children and to compare it with those of young adults. Twenty‐one children (11 males, 10 females; age range 1 to 9 years) were recruited from the nursery and school attached to the Université catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium; and three young adults (one male, two females; mean age 26 years 4 months) were recruited from the Rehabilitation and Physical Medicine Unit of the same university. Displacement of CM b was assessed at different walking velocities in the children and adults by two successive mathematical integrations of ground reaction forces, measured by a large strain‐gauge force platform. Displacement of CM b was controlled for leg length of the participant to eliminate the scaling effect that is dependent on growth. Results showed that vertical and lateral amplitudes of the CM b when controlled for leg length were greater for children before 4 years of age and that the forward amplitude when controlled for leg length was greater for children before 7 years of age. We conclude that the development of mature human CM b displacement during independent walking is a gradual neural process, evolving until the age of 7 years.