This book is an attempt to advance the discussion and improve our understanding about the effects of aging and movement disorders on motor control during walking and postural tasks. Despite these activities are performed daily, there is a high requirement of motor and neural systems in order to perform both tasks efficiently. Both walking and posture require a complex interaction of musculoskeletal and neural systems. However, the mechanisms used to control these tasks, as well as how they are planned and coordinated, are still a question of discussion among health professionals and researchers. In addition, this discussion is more interesting when the effects of aging are included in the context of locomotion and the postural control. The number of older individuals is 841 million in 2015, which is four times higher than the 202 million that lived in 1950. Aging causes many motor, sensorial and neural deficits, which impair locomotion and postural control in the elderly. The severity of this framework is worsened when the aging goes along with a movement disorder, such as Parkinson disease, Chorea, Dystonia, Huntington disease, etc. Therefore, the aim of this book is to highlight the influence of different aspects on planning, controlling and performing locomotion and posture tasks. In attempting to improve current knowledge in this field, invited authors present and discuss how environmental, sensorial, motor, cognitive and individual aspects influence the planning and performance of locomotor and postural activities. The major thrust of the book is to address the mechanisms involved in controlling and planning motor action in neurological healthy individuals, as well as in those who suffer from movement disorders or face the effects of aging, indicating the aspects that impair locomotion and postural control. In addition, new technologies, tools and interventions designed to manage the effects of aging and movement disorders are presented in the book.

Emerging and currently available technologies offer great promise for helping older adults, even those without serious disabilities, to live healthy, comfortable, and productive lives. What technologies offer the most potential benefit? What challenges must be overcome, what problems must be solved, for this promise to be fulfilled? How can federal agencies like the National Institute on Aging best use their resources to support the translation from laboratory findings to useful, marketable products and services? Technology for Adaptive Aging is the product of a workshop that brought together distinguished experts in aging research and in technology to discuss applications of technology to communication, education and learning, employment, health, living environments, and transportation for older adults. It includes all of the workshop papers and the report of the committee that organized the workshop. The committee report synthesizes and evaluates the points made in the workshop papers and recommends priorities for federal support of translational research in technology for older adults.

The control of balance by the central nervous system is crucial to maintain our posture and perform efficiently our daily motor tasks. This control requires the development of dynamical phenomena sub-served by highly-coordinated patterns of muscle activation/deactivation disseminated throughout the whole-body and called “postural adjustments”. Establishing the interaction between balance control, locomotion and cognition has important clinical implication, especially in term of falls prevention, and will improve our knowledge on the underlying neural correlates. This Research Topic provides an up-to-date picture of the relationship between postural adjustments, body balance and motor performance in healthy (young and older adults) and pathological participants. It includes 36 contributions (1 editorial, 28 original articles, 4 reviews and 3 methods articles) which are separated into four sections: 1. Postural maintenance and multisensory integration, 2. Anticipatory postural adjustments associated with voluntary movement, 3. Postural adjustments associated with predictable and unpredictable external perturbation, 4. Gait assessment and rehabilitation in aging. Beside their basic interest of unveiling the mechanisms behind motor control, results from the investigations of this topic are relevant to develop new methods or tools to improve postural stability and motor performance, with applications in the fields of neurodegenerative conditions, rehabilitation, ergonomics and sports sciences.

Physical Activity Instruction of Older Adults, Second Edition, is the most comprehensive text available for current and future fitness professionals who want to design and implement effective, safe, and fun physical activity programs for older adults with diverse functional capabilities.

Physical rehabilitation for walking recovery after spinal cord injury is undergoing a paradigm shift. Therapy historically has focused on compensation for sensorimotor deficits after SCI using wheelchairs and bracing to achieve mobility. With locomotor training, the aim is to promote recovery via activation of the neuromuscular system below the level of the lesion. What basic scientists have shown us as the potential of the nervous system for plasticity, to learn, even after injury is being translated into a rehabilitation strategy by taking advantage of the intrinsic biology of the central nervous system. While spinal cord injury from basic and clinical perspectives was the gateway for developing locomotor training, its application has been extended to other populations with neurologic dysfunction resulting in loss of walking or walking disability.

Since the first edition of this very successful book was written to synthesise and review the enormous body of work covering falls in older people, there has been an even greater wealth of informative and promising studies designed to increase our understanding of risk factors and prevention strategies. This second edition, first published in 2007, is written in three parts: epidemiology, strategies for prevention, and future research directions. New material includes recent studies covering: balance studies using tripping, slipping and stepping paradigms; sensitivity and depth perception visual risk factors; neurophysiological research on automatic or reflex balance activities; and the roles of syncope, vitamin D, cataract surgery, health and safety education, and exercise programs. This edition will be an invaluable update for clinicians, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, nurses, researchers, and all those working in community, hospital and residential or rehabilitation aged care settings.

Providing a solid foundation in the normal development of functional movement, Functional Movement Development Across the Life Span, 3rd Edition helps you recognize and understand movement disorders and effectively manage patients with abnormal motor function. It begins with coverage of basic theory, motor development and motor control, and evaluation of function, then discusses the body systems contributing to functional movement, and defines functional movement outcomes in terms of age, vital functions, posture and balance, locomotion, prehension, and health and illness. This edition includes more clinical examples and applications, and updates data relating to typical performance on standardized tests of balance. Written by physical therapy experts Donna J. Cech and Suzanne "Tink" Martin, this book provides evidence-based information and tools you need to understand functional movement and manage patients' functional skills throughout the life span. - Over 200 illustrations, tables, and special features clarify developmental concepts, address clinical implications, and summarize key points relating to clinical practice. - A focus on evidence-based information covers development changes across the life span and how they impact function. - A logical, easy-to-read format includes 15 chapters organized into three units covering basics, body systems, and age-related functional outcomes respectively. - Expanded integration of ICF (International Classification of Function) aligns learning and critical thinking with current health care models. - Additional clinical examples help you apply developmental information to clinical practice. - Expanded content on assessment of function now includes discussion of participation level standardized assessments and assessments of quality-of-life scales. - More concise information on the normal anatomy and physiology of each body system allows a sharper focus on development changes across the lifespan and how they impact function.

This volume of the series SpringerBriefs in Space Life Sciences describes findings from space and accompanying ground research related to spatial orientation, posture and locomotion, cognition and psychomotor function. The results are not only of importance to health and performance of astronauts during their space mission, but also impact people on Earth, especially in the ageing societies of the Western countries. The space environment produces mismatches between sensory inputs from canal and otolith afferents which are difficult to study in humans, and are therefore studied in the fish model. Brain and vestibular organ of fish are analyzed under altered gravitational conditions; particularly weightlessness and structural failures as well as malfunctions in different inner ear components are investigated and discussed. The book is aiming at students, engineers and scientists in space and aging research, as well as psychology, neurosciences and sensory motor research.

**Selected for Doody's Core Titles® 2024 in Physical Therapy** Offering a comprehensive look at physical therapy science and practice, Guccione's Geriatric Physical Therapy, 4th Edition is a perfect resource for both students and practitioners alike. Year after year, this text is recommended as the primary preparatory resource for the Geriatric Physical Therapy Specialization exam. And this new fourth edition only gets better. Content is thoroughly revised to keep you up to date on the latest geriatric physical therapy protocols and conditions. Five new chapters are added to this edition to help you learn how to better manage common orthopedic, cardiopulmonary, and neurologic conditions; become familiar with functional outcomes and assessments; and better understand the psychosocial aspects of aging. In all, you can rely on Guccione's Geriatric Physical Therapy to help you effectively care for today's aging patient population. - Comprehensive coverage of geriatric physical therapy prepares students and clinicians to provide thoughtful, evidence-based care for aging patients. - Combination of foundational knowledge and clinically relevant information provides a meaningful background in how to effectively manage geriatric disorders - Updated information reflects the most recent and relevant information on the Geriatric Clinical Specialty Exam. - Standard APTA terminology prepares students for terms they will hear in practice. - Expert authorship ensures all information is authoritative, current, and clinically accurate. - NEW! Thoroughly revised and updated content across all chapters keeps students up to date with the latest geriatric physical therapy protocols and conditions. - NEW! References located at the end of each chapter point students toward credible external sources for further information. - NEW! Treatment chapters guide students in managing common conditions in orthopedics, cardiopulmonary, and neurology. - NEW! Chapter on functional outcomes and assessment lists relevant scores for the most frequently used tests. - NEW! Chapter on psychosocial aspects of aging provides a well-rounded view of the social and mental conditions commonly affecting geriatric patients. - NEW! Chapter on frailty covers a wide variety of interventions to optimize treatment. - NEW! Enhanced eBook version is included with print purchase, allowing students to access all of the text, figures, and references from the book on a variety of devices.