Anticipatory locomotor control for obstacle avoidance in mid-childhood aged children

The present work explored the anticipatory locomotor adjustments during obs tacle avoidance by eight children aged 7-9 years. Analyses involved kinemat ic, kinetic and muscle mechanical power patterns at each lower limb joint, as well as electromyographic data from five muscles. The children demonstra ted adult-like limb displacements and general dynamic strategies for obstac le clearance. However. when normalized to body mass, amplitudes of certain muscle power bursts related to anticipatory locomotor adjustments were decr eased from those reported in the literature for adults, and an absence of t he usual antagonistic knee extensor power burst at the end of the stance ph ase was frequently observed. The data suggest that the expression of antici patory locomotor adjustments is still maturing during mid-childhood. (C) 20 01 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.