@article{ShakiFischer2014, author = {Shaki, Samuel and Fischer, Martin H.}, title = {Random walks on the mental number line}, series = {Experimental brain research}, volume = {232}, journal = {Experimental brain research}, number = {1}, publisher = {Springer}, address = {New York}, issn = {0014-4819}, doi = {10.1007/s00221-013-3718-7}, pages = {43 -- 49}, year = {2014}, language = {en} } @article{GschwindBridenbaughReinhardetal.2017, author = {Gschwind, Yves J. and Bridenbaugh, Stephanie A. and Reinhard, Sarah and Granacher, Urs and Monsch, Andreas U. and Kressig, Reto W.}, title = {Ginkgo biloba special extract LI 1370 improves dual-task walking in patients with MCI: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled exploratory study}, series = {Aging clinical and experimental research}, volume = {29}, journal = {Aging clinical and experimental research}, publisher = {Springer}, address = {New York}, issn = {1594-0667}, doi = {10.1007/s40520-016-0699-y}, pages = {609 -- 619}, year = {2017}, abstract = {Background In patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), gait instability, particularly in dual-task situations, has been associated with impaired executive function and an increased fall risk. Ginkgo biloba extract (GBE) could be an effective mean to improve gait stability. Aims This study investigated the effect of GBE on spatiotemporal gait parameters of MCI patients while walking under single and dual-task conditions. Methods Fifty patients aged 50-85 years with MCI and associated dual-task-related gait impairment participated in this randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, exploratory phase IV drug trial. Intervention group (IG) patients received GBE (Symfona (R) forte 120 mg) twice-daily for 6 months while control group (CG) patients received placebo capsules. A 6-month open-label phase with identical GBE dosage followed. Gait was quantified at months 0, 3, 6 and 12. Results After 6 months, dual-task-related cadence increased in the IG compared to the CG (p = 0.019, d = 0.71). No significant changes, but GBE-associated numerical non-significant trends were found after 6-month treatment for dual-task-related gait velocity and stride time variability. Discussion Findings suggest that 120 mg of GBE twice-daily for at least 6 months may improve dual-task-related gait performance in patients with MCI. Conclusions The observed gait improvements add to the understanding of the self-reported unspecified improvements among MCI patients when treated with standardised GBE.}, language = {en} } @article{BeijersbergenGranacherGaebleretal.2017, author = {Beijersbergen, Chantal M. I. and Granacher, Urs and Gaebler, Martijn and DeVita, Paul and Hortobagyi, Tibor}, title = {Hip mechanics underlie lower extremity power training-induced increase in old adults' fast gait velocity}, series = {Gait \& posture}, volume = {52}, journal = {Gait \& posture}, publisher = {Elsevier}, address = {Clare}, issn = {0966-6362}, doi = {10.1016/j.gaitpost.2016.12.024}, pages = {338 -- 344}, year = {2017}, abstract = {Methods: As part of the Potsdam Gait Study (POGS), healthy old adults completed a no-intervention control period (69.1 +/- 4A yrs, n =14) or a power training program followed by detraining (72.9 +/- 5.4 yrs, n = 15).We measured isokinetic knee extensor and plantarflexor power and measured hip, knee and ankle kinetics at habitual, fast and standardized walking speeds. Results: Power training significantly increased isokinetic knee extensor power (25\%), plantarflexor power (43\%), and fast gait velocity (5.9\%). Gait mechanics underlying the improved fast gait velocity included increases in hip angular impulse (29\%) and H1 work (37\%) and no changes in positive knee (K2) and A2 work. Detraining further improved fast gait velocity (4.7\%) with reductions in H1(-35\%), and increases in K2 (36\%) and A2 (7\%). Conclusion: Power training increased fast gait velocity in healthy old adults by increasing the reliance on hip muscle function and thus further strengthened the age-related distal-to-proximal shift in muscle function. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.}, language = {en} } @article{MuehlbauerGranacherBordeetal.2017, author = {Muehlbauer, Thomas and Granacher, Urs and Borde, Ron and Hortobagyi, Tibor}, title = {Non-Discriminant Relationships between Leg Muscle Strength, Mass and Gait Performance in Healthy Young and Old Adults}, series = {Gerontology}, volume = {64}, journal = {Gerontology}, number = {1}, publisher = {Karger}, address = {Basel}, issn = {0304-324X}, doi = {10.1159/000480150}, pages = {11 -- 18}, year = {2017}, abstract = {Background: Gait speed declines with increasing age, but it is unclear if gait speed preferentially correlates with leg muscle strength or mass. Objective: We determined the relationship between gait speed and (1) leg muscle strength measured at 3 lower extremity joints and (2) leg lean tissue mass (LTM) in healthy young (age: 25 years, n = 20) and old (age: 70 years, n = 20) adults. Methods: Subjects were tested for maximal isokinetic hip, knee, and ankle extension torque, leg LTM by bioimpedance, and gait performance (i.e., gait speed, stride length) at preferred and maximal gait speeds. Results: We found no evidence for a preferential relationship between gait performance and leg muscle strength compared with gait performance and leg LTM in healthy young and old adults. In old adults, hip extensor strength only predicted habitual gait speed (R-2 = 0.29, p = 0.015), whereas ankle plantarflexion strength only predicted maximal gait speed and stride length (both R-2 = 0.40, p = 0.003). Conclusions: Gait speed did not preferentially correlate with leg muscle strength or leg LTM, favoring neither outcome for predicting mobility. Thus, we recommend that both leg muscle strength and leg LTM should be tested and trained complementarily. Further, hip and ankle extension torque predicted gait performance, and thus we recommend to test and train healthy old adults by functional integrated multiarticular rather than monoarticular lower extremity strength exercises.}, language = {en} } @article{LinKhajooeiEngeletal.2021, author = {Lin, Chiao-I and Khajooei, Mina and Engel, Tilman and Nair, Alexandra and Heikkila, Mika and Kaplick, Hannes and Mayer, Frank}, title = {The effect of chronic ankle instability on muscle activations in lower extremities}, series = {PLOS ONE / Public Library of Science}, volume = {16}, journal = {PLOS ONE / Public Library of Science}, number = {2}, publisher = {PLOS}, address = {San Francisco}, issn = {1932-6203}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0247581}, pages = {15}, year = {2021}, abstract = {Background/Purpose Muscular reflex responses of the lower extremities to sudden gait disturbances are related to postural stability and injury risk. Chronic ankle instability (CAI) has shown to affect activities related to the distal leg muscles while walking. Its effects on proximal muscle activities of the leg, both for the injured- (IN) and uninjured-side (NON), remain unclear. Therefore, the aim was to compare the difference of the motor control strategy in ipsilateral and contralateral proximal joints while unperturbed walking and perturbed walking between individuals with CAI and matched controls. Materials and methods In a cross-sectional study, 13 participants with unilateral CAI and 13 controls (CON) walked on a split-belt treadmill with and without random left- and right-sided perturbations. EMG amplitudes of muscles at lower extremities were analyzed 200 ms after perturbations, 200 ms before, and 100 ms after (Post100) heel contact while walking. Onset latencies were analyzed at heel contacts and after perturbations. Statistical significance was set at alpha≤0.05 and 95\% confidence intervals were applied to determine group differences. Cohen's d effect sizes were calculated to evaluate the extent of differences. Results Participants with CAI showed increased EMG amplitudes for NON-rectus abdominus at Post100 and shorter latencies for IN-gluteus maximus after heel contact compared to CON (p<0.05). Overall, leg muscles (rectus femoris, biceps femoris, and gluteus medius) activated earlier and less bilaterally (d = 0.30-0.88) and trunk muscles (bilateral rectus abdominus and NON-erector spinae) activated earlier and more for the CAI group than CON group (d = 0.33-1.09). Conclusion Unilateral CAI alters the pattern of the motor control strategy around proximal joints bilaterally. Neuromuscular training for the muscles, which alters motor control strategy because of CAI, could be taken into consideration when planning rehabilitation for CAI.}, language = {en} }