WITHIN-SESSION AND BETWEEN-SESSION CONSISTENCY OF ELECTROMYOGRAPHIC TEMPORAL PATTERNS OF WALKING IN NONDISABLED OLDER ADULTS

This study examined the inter-cycle and between-session reliability of EMG temporal patterns during walking in older adults. Twenty subjects , 50-78 years of age, walked at three speeds in two sessions. Burst du ration and onset latency of the tibialis anterior, lateral gastrocnemi us, vastus lateralis and biceps femoris muscles for ten gait cycles we re calculated for each session. EMG patterns were consistent within an d between sessions; however, slow walking generated more inter-cycle v ariability than self-selected or fast walking. Similar inter-cycle var iability in both sessions suggests no practice effect. A single sessio n using self-selected or fast walking may provide reliable EMG values in older adults. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.