Frontiers in network physiology
Complexity of plantar flexor torque and gait covaries in older adults: a network physiology approach to neuromuscular aging
By Bauer P, Gomes JS, Marques T and 5 others.
Abstract
Introduction
Falls are a leading cause of injury, disability, and loss of independence in older adults, and are closely linked to age-related declines in neuromuscular function. Underlying these declines is a loss of physiological complexity, reflected in more predictable and repetitive temporal structures (i.e., decreased entropy) of motor output. Within a network physiology framework, this loss of complexity may manifest as reduced network dimensionality. It may also be consistent with an increased co-variation between motor outputs in different tasks. Therefore, the present study examined the relationship between the complexity of plantar flexor torque and gait in young and older adults.
Methods
Thirty-eight healthy older adults and forty-six healthy young adults participated in a single laboratory session. Plantar flexor torque and gait were assessed in separate tasks: submaximal isometric contractions and continuous treadmill walking, respectively. Complexity was inferred from sample entropy, which quantifies the temporal structure of both signals.