Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
1.5
Journals
Biomechanics
Special Issues
Gait and Balance Control in Typical and Special Individuals
share announcement

Gait and Balance Control in Typical and Special Individuals

A special issue of Biomechanics (ISSN 2673-7078). This special issue belongs to the section "Neuromechanics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 June 2025 | Viewed by 6086

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Luis Augusto Teixeira

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Human Motor Systems Laboratory, School of Physical Education and Sport, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-030, Brazil
Interests: body balance control in young, older and neurologic individuals; interlateral asymmetry of behavior

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Research on gait and balance control has evolved rapidly in recent years. By employing biomechanical techniques for scientific investigation, the knowledge related to this subject has been advanced in different relevant aspects. This observation applies not only to typical people but also to several special groups of people of particular interest within this theme, such as older adults, athletes or individuals suffering from Parkinson’s disease, cerebral stroke or cerebral palsy, to mention some examples. For this Special Issue of Neuromechanics, we invite authors to submit, for consideration, original research or review manuscripts involving the theme of “gait and balance control” from a biomechanical perspective. We expect to gather in this Special Issue diverse applied and theoretical advancements pertaining to the theme.

Dr. Luis Augusto Teixeira
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Biomechanics is an international peer-reviewed open access quarterly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1000 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • biomechanics
  • motor control
  • balance
  • gait
  • athletes
  • Parkinson’s disease
  • cerebral stroke
  • cerebral palsy
  • aging

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.

Published Papers (3 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Other

13 pages, 1379 KiB  
Article
People with Parkinson’s Disease Are Able to Couple Eye Movements and Postural Sway to Improve Stability
by Fabio Augusto Barbieri, Paula Favaro Polastri, José Angelo Barela, Cédrick T. Bonnet, Matheus Belizario Brito and Sergio Tosi Rodrigues
Biomechanics 2024, 4(3), 460-472; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomechanics4030032 - 1 Aug 2024
Viewed by 1896
Abstract
Considering that people with Parkinson’s disease (PD) experience challenges in the control of both balance and eye movements, this study investigated the effects of saccadic eye movements on body sway in people with PD in two bases of support positions (side-by-side and tandem [...] Read more.
Considering that people with Parkinson’s disease (PD) experience challenges in the control of both balance and eye movements, this study investigated the effects of saccadic eye movements on body sway in people with PD in two bases of support positions (side-by-side and tandem stances). Ten people with PD and 11 healthy individuals performed (a) fixation; (b) horizontal saccadic eye movements to the right and left; and (c) vertical saccadic eye movements up and down. The protocol for each postural task consisted of one block of six trials, making a total of 12 trials. Body sway and gaze parameters were measured during the trials. In both people with PD and healthy individuals, anterior–posterior body sway was significantly reduced in horizontal saccadic eye movements in contrast to fixation, regardless of the body position (side-by-side and tandem stances). Furthermore, vertical saccadic eye movements increased the area of sway in contrast to horizontal ones (and not to fixation) in people with PD. In addition, people with PD showed a higher number of fixations in all experimental conditions, without changes in the mean duration of fixations in both body positions. In conclusion, individuals with PD can improve body sway by coupling eye movements and postural sway when performing horizontal saccadic eye movements but not when performing vertical saccadic eye movements. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Gait and Balance Control in Typical and Special Individuals)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

13 pages, 1229 KiB  
Article
Evaluation of Voluntary Dynamic Balance through Standardized Squat-Lift Movements: A Comparison between Gymnasts and Athletes from Other Sports
by Jair Wesley Ferreira Bueno, Daniel Boari Coelho and Luis Augusto Teixeira
Biomechanics 2024, 4(3), 439-451; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomechanics4030030 - 21 Jul 2024
Viewed by 839
Abstract
In the quotidian, people perform voluntary whole-body movements requiring dynamic body balance. However, the literature is scarce of dynamic balance evaluations employing standardized voluntary movements. In this investigation, we aimed to analyze the sensitivity of balance evaluation between gymnasts and athletes from other [...] Read more.
In the quotidian, people perform voluntary whole-body movements requiring dynamic body balance. However, the literature is scarce of dynamic balance evaluations employing standardized voluntary movements. In this investigation, we aimed to analyze the sensitivity of balance evaluation between gymnasts and athletes from other sports in the performance of balance tasks. Participants were evaluated in upright quiet standing and the performance of cyclic dynamic tasks of hip flexion-extension and squat-lift movements. Movements were individually standardized in amplitude, while the rhythm was externally paced at the frequency of 0.5 Hz. Tasks were performed on a force plate, with dynamic balance measured through the center of pressure displacement. Results showed that in quiet standing and the dynamic hip flexion-extension task, no significant differences were found between the groups. Conversely, results for the squat-lift task revealed a better balance of the gymnasts over controls, as indicated by the reduced amplitude and velocity of the center of pressure displacement during the task execution. The superior balance performance of gymnasts in the squat-lift task was also observed when vision was suppressed. These findings suggest the employed squat-lift task protocol is a potentially sensitive procedure for the evaluation of voluntary dynamic balance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Gait and Balance Control in Typical and Special Individuals)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Other

Jump to: Research

54 pages, 1086 KiB  
Systematic Review
Gait Biomechanical Parameters Related to Falls in the Elderly: A Systematic Review
by Jullyanne Silva, Tiago Atalaia, João Abrantes and Pedro Aleixo
Biomechanics 2024, 4(1), 165-218; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomechanics4010011 - 5 Mar 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2740
Abstract
According to the World Health Organization, one-third of elderly people aged 65 or over fall annually, and this number increases after 70. Several gait biomechanical parameters were associated with a history of falls. This study aimed to conduct a systematic review to identify [...] Read more.
According to the World Health Organization, one-third of elderly people aged 65 or over fall annually, and this number increases after 70. Several gait biomechanical parameters were associated with a history of falls. This study aimed to conduct a systematic review to identify and describe the gait biomechanical parameters related to falls in the elderly. MEDLINE Complete, Cochrane, Web of Science, and CINAHL Complete were searched for articles on 22 November 2023, using the following search sentence: (gait) AND (fall*) AND ((elder*) OR (old*) OR (senior*)) AND ((kinematic*) OR (kinetic*) OR (biomechanic*) OR (electromyogram*) OR (emg) OR (motion analysis*) OR (plantar pressure)). This search identified 13,988 studies. From these, 96 were selected. Gait speed, stride/step length, and double support phase are gait biomechanical parameters that differentiate fallers from non-fallers. Fallers also tended to exhibit higher variability in gait biomechanical parameters, namely the minimum foot/toe clearance variability. Although the studies were scarce, differences between fallers and non-fallers were found regarding lower limb muscular activity and joint biomechanics. Due to the scarce literature and contradictory results among studies, it is complex to draw clear conclusions for parameters related to postural stability. Minimum foot/toe clearance, step width, and knee kinematics did not differentiate fallers from non-fallers. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Gait and Balance Control in Typical and Special Individuals)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-3
Back to TopTop