مهندسی مکانیک مدرس

مهندسی مکانیک مدرس

Head Stabilization during Walking in People with Unilateral Vestibular Disorder

نویسندگان
فرزانه حبیبی 1
محمد نجفی آشتیانی 1
سعیده مهرکیان 2
1 دانشگاه تربیت مدرس
2 دانشگاه علوم بهزیستی و توانبخشی
10.48311/mme.2025.24031
چکیده
Background

Head stabilization plays a crucial role in locomotive tasks such as walking, but it can be impaired in individuals with unilateral vestibular disorder (UVD). This study aimed to evaluate the impact of UVD, environmental lighting, and gait speed on head stabilization during walking. The hypothesis was that people with UVD (PwUVD) restrict their head movements while walking, and faster walking speeds and darker environments would worsen head stabilization.

Methods

Eight PwUVD and nine healthy individuals were asked to walk along a 6-meter walkway at their preferred pace, as well as at 25% slower and 25% faster paces, either in normal or in dark environments. Motion analysis was utilized to measure head movement and calculate variability, range, and approximate entropy of the head kinematic data.

Results

Healthy individuals exhibited higher variability of head acceleration compared to patients in the forward (p=.020), lateral (p=.042), and vertical (p=.001) directions. The lighting conditions had a significant impact on the variability of the vertical component of head acceleration (p=.009). Gait speed also significantly influenced the variability of head acceleration in all directions (p<.001). Furthermore, the range of head acceleration was greater in healthy individuals than in patients, particularly in the forward (p=.006) and vertical (p<.001) directions. PwUVD exhibited significantly higher approximate entropy of head displacement and velocity (p<.033). Conclusion.

Conclusion

The findings suggest that head stabilization serves as a compensatory mechanism in PwUVD, particularly at higher gait speeds. However, walking in a dark environment limited the effectiveness of this strategy.
کلیدواژه‌ها
Unilateral Vestibular Disorder
Head Stabilization
Gait
Vision
kinematics

موضوعات

عنوان مقاله English

Head Stabilization during Walking in People with Unilateral Vestibular Disorder

نویسندگان English

Farzaneh Habibi 1
Mohammed N. Ashtiani 1
Saeideh Mehrkian 2
1 Tarbiat Modares University
2 University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences
چکیده English

Background

Head stabilization plays a crucial role in locomotive tasks such as walking, but it can be impaired in individuals with unilateral vestibular disorder (UVD). This study aimed to evaluate the impact of UVD, environmental lighting, and gait speed on head stabilization during walking. The hypothesis was that people with UVD (PwUVD) restrict their head movements while walking, and faster walking speeds and darker environments would worsen head stabilization.

Methods

Eight PwUVD and nine healthy individuals were asked to walk along a 6-meter walkway at their preferred pace, as well as at 25% slower and 25% faster paces, either in normal or in dark environments. Motion analysis was utilized to measure head movement and calculate variability, range, and approximate entropy of the head kinematic data.

Results

Healthy individuals exhibited higher variability of head acceleration compared to patients in the forward (p=.020), lateral (p=.042), and vertical (p=.001) directions. The lighting conditions had a significant impact on the variability of the vertical component of head acceleration (p=.009). Gait speed also significantly influenced the variability of head acceleration in all directions (p<.001). Furthermore, the range of head acceleration was greater in healthy individuals than in patients, particularly in the forward (p=.006) and vertical (p<.001) directions. PwUVD exhibited significantly higher approximate entropy of head displacement and velocity (p<.033). Conclusion.

Conclusion

The findings suggest that head stabilization serves as a compensatory mechanism in PwUVD, particularly at higher gait speeds. However, walking in a dark environment limited the effectiveness of this strategy.

کلیدواژه‌ها English

Unilateral Vestibular Disorder
Head Stabilization
Gait
Vision
kinematics
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مهندسی مکانیک مدرس
دوره 25، شماره 5
اردیبهشت 1404
صفحه 279-284