Dynamic control of posture across locomotor tasks

Abstract

Successful locomotion depends on postural control to establish and maintain appropriate postural orientation of body segments relative to one another and to the environment and to ensure dynamic stability of the moving body. This article provides a framework for considering dynamic postural control, highlighting the importance of coordination, consistency, and challenges to postural control posed by various locomotor tasks, such as turning and backward walking. The impacts of aging and various movement disorders on postural control are discussed broadly in an effort to provide a general overview of the field and recommendations for assessment of dynamic postural control across different populations in both clinical and research settings. Suggestions for future research on dynamic postural control during locomotion also are provided and include discussion of opportunities afforded by new and developing technologies, the need for long-term monitoring of locomotor performance in everyday activities, gaps in our knowledge of how targeted intervention approaches modify dynamic postural control, and the relative paucity of literature regarding dynamic postural control in movement disorder populations other than Parkinson's disease.

Keywords: Parkinson's disease; gait; locomotion; motor control; posture.

Figure 1

Model depicting factors that impact dynamic postural control during locomotion.

Figure 2

Illustration of key aspects of postural control, the foundation being coordination of a fundamental gait pattern, the next level being consistency of pattern production, and the top level being ability to modify control in the face of challenges.