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Anticipatory postural adjustments (APAs) involve a complex coordination of sensorimotor information that can be impaired in diseases that affect nerve conduction. Assessing APAs typically requires costly video recording technology, posing a challenge to the study of postural changes. This hurdle is compounded in impoverished communities affected by diseases such as leprosy, which often receive limited government support. Recent years have seen the validation of inertial sensors in wearable devices and smartphones for APA analysis in diverse populations, including adults, the elderly and people with Parkinson's disease. This progress offers economically efficient alternatives for the study of APA in leprosy. Do patterns of activation of anticipatory postural adjustment differ between leprosy patients and healthy controls? We also investigated the validity and replicability of APAs recorded in leprosy patients using inertial measurements and video capture recordings. Thirty healthy individuals in the control group and 30 individuals with leprosy in the leprosy group performed ten gait initiation trials. To record the APA for gait initiation, the participants stood on a 2 m platform. Each participant was informed that the experimenter would give an signal, after which the participant would initiate a two-step walk on the platform. Inertial recordings (low-cost method) and video capture recordings (gold-standard method) from center of mass displacements were used to extract the APA before gait initiation. The results show that APAs are similar between groups (control and leprosy), but leprosy patients have less consistent APAs. In addition, this study highlights the reproducibility and high correlation between the values of variables obtained from both instruments, the video recording as gold standard method and portable digital inertial sensor as a low-cost alternative method. These promising findings support the use of affordable inertial sensors to track and record APAs in underserved populations that lack easy access to gold standard methods such as video recording. This approach has the potential to improve the therapeutic care and rehabilitation of these patients. Although not currently part of official protocols for leprosy patients, this assessment method could prove particularly valuable in situations where significant sensorimotor impairments are suspected or documented.

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Background: Step initiation involves anticipatory postural adjustments (APAs) that can be measured using inertial measurement units (IMUs) such as accelerometers. However, previous research has shown heterogeneity in terms of the population studied, sensors used, and methods employed. Validity against gold standard measurements was only found in some studies, and the weight of the sensors varied from 10 to 110 g. The weight of the device is a crucial factor to consider when assessing APAs, as APAs exhibit significantly lower magnitudes and are characterized by discrete oscillations in acceleration paths. Objective: This study aims to validate the performance of a commercially available ultra-light sensor weighing only 5.6 g compared to a 168-g smartphone for measuring APAs during step initiation, using a video capture kinematics system as the gold standard. The hypothesis is that APA oscillation measurements obtained with the ultra-light sensor will exhibit greater similarity to those acquired using video capture than those obtained using a smartphone. Materials and Methods: Twenty subjects were evaluated using a commercial lightweight MetaMotionC accelerometer, a smartphone and a system of cameras-kinematics with a reflective marker on lumbar vertebrae. The subjects initiated 10 trials of gait after a randomized command from the experimenter and APA variables were extracted: APAonset, APAamp, PEAKtime. A repeated measures ANOVA with post-hoc test analyzed the effect of device on APA measurements. Bland-Altman plots were used to evaluate agreement between MetaMotionC, smartphone, and kinematics measurements. Pearson's correlation coefficients were used to assess device correlation. Percentage error was calculated for each inertial sensor against kinematics. A paired Student's t-test compared th devices percentage error. Results: The study found no significant difference in temporal variables APAonset and PEAKtime between MetaMotionC, smartphone, and kinematic instruments, but a significant difference for variable APAamp, with MetaMotionC yielding smaller measurements. The MetaMotionC had a near-perfect correlation with kinematic data in APAonset and APAamp, while the smartphone had a very large correlation in APAamp and a near-perfect correlation in APAonset and PEAKtime. Bland-Altman plots showed non-significant bias between smartphone and kinematics for all variables, while there was a significant bias between MetaMotionC and kinematics for APAamp. The percentage of relative error was not significantly different between the smartphone and MetaMotionC. Conclusions: The temporal analysis can be assessed using ultralight sensors and smartphones, as MetaMotionC and smartphone-based measurements have been found to be valid compared to kinematics. However, caution should be exercised when using ultralight sensors for amplitude measurements, as additional research is necessary to determine their effectiveness in this regard.

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Background: Gait asymmetry and deficits in gait initiation (GI) are among the most disabling symptoms in people with Parkinson's disease (PwPD). Understanding if PwPD with reduced asymmetry during GI have higher asymmetry in cortical activity may provide support for an adaptive mechanism to improve GI, particularly in the presence of an obstacle. Objective: This study quantified the asymmetry of anticipatory postural adjustments (APAs), stepping parameters and cortical activity during GI, and tested if the presence of an obstacle regulates asymmetry in PwPD. Methods: Sixteen PwPD and 16 control group (CG) performed 20-trials in two conditions: unobstructed and obstructed GI with right and left limbs. We measured, through symmetry index, (i) motor parameters: APAs and stepping, and (ii) cortical activity: the PSD of the frontal, sensorimotor and occipital areas during APA, STEP-I (moment of heel-off of the leading foot in the GI until the heel contact of the same foot); and STEP-II (moment of the heel-off of the trailing foot in the GI until the heel contact of the same foot) phases. Results: Parkinson's disease showed higher asymmetry in cortical activity during APA, STEP-I and STEP-II phases and step velocity (STEP-II phase) during unobstructed GI than CG. However, unexpectedly, PwPD reduced the level of asymmetry of anterior-posterior displacement (p < 0.01) and medial-lateral velocity (p < 0.05) of the APAs. Also, when an obstacle was in place, PwPD showed higher APAs asymmetry (medial-lateral velocity: p < 0.002), with reduced and increased asymmetry of the cortical activity during APA and STEP-I phases, respectively. Conclusion: Parkinson's disease were not motor asymmetric during GI, indicating that higher cortical activity asymmetry can be interpreted as an adaptive behavior to reduce motor asymmetry. In addition, the presence of obstacle did not regulate motor asymmetry during GI in PwPD.

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The evaluation of anticipatory postural adjustments (APAs) requires high-cost and complex handling systems, only available at research laboratories. New alternative methods are being developed in this field, on the other hand, to solve this issue and allow applicability in clinic, sport and hospital environments. The objective of this study was to validate an app for mobile devices to measure the APAs during gait initiation by comparing the signals obtained from cell phones using the Momentum app with measurements made by a kinematic system. The center-of-mass accelerations of a total of 20 healthy subjects were measured by the above app, which read the inertial sensors of the smartphones, and by kinematics, with a reflective marker positioned on their lumbar spine. The subjects took a step forward after hearing a command from an experimenter. The variables of the anticipatory phase, prior to the heel-off and the step phase, were measured. In the anticipatory phase, the linear correlation of all variables measured by the two measurement techniques was significant and indicated a high correlation between the devices (APAonset: r = 0.95, p < 0.0001; APAamp: r = 0.71, p = 0.003, and PEAKtime: r = 0.95, p < 0.0001). The linear correlation between the two measurement techniques for the step phase variables measured by ques was also significant (STEPinterval: r = 0.56, p = 0.008; STEPpeak1: r = 0.79, p < 0.0001; and STEPpeak2: r = 0.64, p < 0.0001). The Bland−Altman graphs indicated agreement between instruments with similar behavior as well as subjects within confidence limits and low dispersion. Thus, using the Momentum cell phone application is valid for the assessment of APAs during gait initiation compared to the gold standard instrument (kinematics), proving to be a useful, less complex, and less costly alternative for the assessment of healthy individuals.

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O processo de transição da postura em pé parada para a caminhada cíclica é chamado de inicialização da marcha. Esse processo exige ajustes posturais antecipatórios. Porém, pouco se sabe sobre como es- ses ajustes se desenvolvem à medida que crianças pequenas adquirem a marcha independente. Assim, este é um estudo transversal com o obje- tivo de descrever o processo de inicialização da marcha em crianças de desenvolvimento típico, com idades entre 1.3 e 4 anos. Sessenta crianças de ambos os sexos de um Centro Municipal de Educação Infantil, devida- mente autorizadas pelos pais ou responsáveis, participaram voluntaria- mente do estudo. As crianças compuseram quatro grupos etários de 15 participantes: G1(1.3 anos de idade), G2 (2 anos de idade), G3 (3 anos de idade) e G4 (4 anos de idade). Uma plataforma de força dupla portátil foi utilizada para a obtenção do comportamento do centro de pressão (COP) durante a transição da posição em pé para o primeiro passo. Cada crian- ça realizou cinco tentativas da inicialização da marcha, que compreendia sair da posição em pé parada sobre a plataforma de força dupla com os pés afastados. Após o sinal sonoro, iniciava a atividade com o pé direito para fora da plataforma e continuava a andar até o fim de uma passarela pré-determinada, a uma velocidade autosselecionada. Os resultados fo- ram descritos conforme as fases da inicialização da marcha para as faixas etárias. As crianças com 1.3 anos apresentaram menor deslocamento an- teroposterior do COP (COPAP_1: p<0.001, COPAP_2: p <0.001 ) e maior ve- locidade de deslocamento do COP anteroposterior (VELAP_1: p <0.001 e VELAP_2: p <0.001), quando compradas com as dos grupos de crianças de 2, 3 e 4 anos, enquanto as crianças de 4 anos demonstram uma tendência de aumento do deslocamento anteroposterior COP e diminuição da velo- cidade de deslocamento do COP, quando em comparação às crianças de 1.3 anos. O aumento do valor no deslocamento do COPAP, juntamente com a diminuição da velocidade de deslocamento do COP entre as crian- ças de 1.3 anos, 2 anos, 3 anos e 4 anos, sugerem que o comportamento antecipatório para a inicialização da marcha se desenvolve primeiro no plano frontal (AP) e que, com o desenvolvimento do andar independen- te, melhora a estabilidade postural necessária para alcançar totalmente o controle para a execução da inicialização da marcha quando adquire o padrão maduro aos 7 anos de idade.

The process of transitioning from standing posture to cyclic gait is called gait initiation. This requires anticipatory postural adjustments. However, little is known about how these adjustments develop as young children acquire independent gait. Thus, this is a cross-sectional study with the objective of describing the process of gait startup in children of typical development aged between 1.3 and 4 years. Sixty children of both sexes from a Centro Municipal de Educação Infantil (CMEI) duly authorized by parents or guardians voluntarily participated in the study. Children comprised four age groups of 15 children G1(1.3 years of age), G2 (2 years of age), G3 (3 years of age) and G4 (4 years of age). A portable dual force plataform (AMTI model ASC-DUAL L201, AMTI, USA) was used to acquire pressure center behavior (COP) during the transition from standing position to first step, called gait initiation. Each children made five attempts at the start of the march, which included standing standing on the dual force platform with their feet away, after the beep started the activity with the right foot off the platform and continued to walk to the end of a predetermined walkway, at a self-selected speed. The results demonstrate the presence of a motor sequence characterized by increased development of the movement of the body forward lower displacement of cop and decreased cop displacement speed in all groups of children studied. Children 1.3 years old demonstrated lower anteroposterior displacement of cop (COPAP_1: p<0.001, COPAP_2: p <0.001 ) and higher displacement speed of anteroposterior COP (VELAP_1: p <0.001 and VELAP_2: p <0.001), while 4-year-olds demonstrate a trend of increased anteroposterior COP displacement and decreased cop displacement speed compared to 1.3-year-old children. The increase in the value of copap displacement, along with the decrease in cop displacement speed among children aged 1.3 years to 4 years, suggest that anticipatory gait-starting behavior develops first in the frontal plane (AP) and that with the development of the independent floor improves the postural stability necessary to fully achieve control for the execution of gait startup when it acquires the mature standard at 7 years of age.

El proceso de transición de la postura de pie a la marcha cíclica se llama inicio de la marcha. Esto requiere un ajuste postural anticipatorio. Sin embargo, poco se sabe acerca de cómo estos ajustes se desarrollan a medida que los niños pequeños adquieren marcha independiente. Así, se trata de un estudio transversal con el objetivo de describir el proceso de puesta en marcha de la marcha en niños de desarrollo típico de entre 1,3 y 4 años. Sesenta hijos de ambos sexos de un Centro Municipal de Educación Infantil debidamente autorizado por los padres o tutores participaron voluntariamente en el estudio. Los niños estaban compuestos por cuatro grupos de edad de 15 niños G1(1,3 años de edad), G2 (2 años de edad), G3 (3 años de edad) y G4 (4 años de edad). Una plataforma portátil de doble resistencia (modelo AMTI ASC- DUAL L201, AMTI, EE. UU.) se utilizó para adquirir el comportamiento del centro de presión (COP) durante la transición de la posición de pie al primer paso, llamado arranque de marcha. Cada niño hizo cinco intentos al comienzo de la marcha, que incluyó estar de pie en la plataforma de doble fuerza con los pies alejados, después de que el pitido comenzó la actividad con el pie derecho fuera de la plataforma y continuó caminando hasta el final de una pasarela predeterminada, a una velocidad auto- seleccionada. Los resultados demuestran la presencia de una secuencia motora caracterizada por un mayor desarrollo del movimiento del cuerpo hacia adelante menor desplazamiento de la policía y disminución de la velocidad de desplazamiento del cop en todos los grupos de niños estudiados. Los niños de 1,3 años demostraron un menor desplazamiento anteroposterior del policía (COPAP_1: p<0.001, COPAP_2: p <0.001 ) y mayor velocidad de desplazamiento de la COP anteroposterior (VELAP_1: p <0.001 y VELAP_2: p <0.001), mientras que los niños de 4 años demuestran una tendencia de aumento del desplazamiento de la COP anteroposterior y disminución de la velocidad de desplazamiento del copo en comparación con los niños de 1,3 años. El aumento del valor del desplazamiento de copap, junto con la disminución de la velocidad de desplazamiento de la policía entre los niños de 1,3 años a 4 años, sugieren que el comportamiento anticipatorio de arranque de la marcha se desarrolla primero en el plano frontal (AP) y que con el desarrollo del piso independiente mejora la estabilidad postural necesaria para lograr plenamente el control para la ejecución de la puesta en marcha de la marcha cuando adquiere el estándar maduro a los 7 años de edad.

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