BJMB
Brazilian Journal of Motor Behavior
Special issue:
“Control of Gait and Posture: a tribute to Professor Lilian T. B.
Gobbi”
!
Simieli, Barbieri,
Beretta
2023
VOL.17
N.4
89 of 92
Editorial: Control of Gait and Posture: a tribute to Professor Lilian T. B. Gobbi
Lucas Simieli
1
| Fabio A. Barbieri
1
| Victor S. Beretta
2
1
São Paulo State University (Unesp), School of Sciences, Department of Physical Education, Human Movement Research Laboratory (MOVI-LAB), Bauru, SP, Brazil
2
São Paulo State University (Unesp), School of Technology and Sciences, Department of Physical Education, Presidente Prudente, SP, Brazil
Correspondence to:!Lucas Simieli
email: lucassimieli@hotmail.com
https://doi.org/10.20338/bjmb.v17i4.387
PUBLICATION DATA
Received 10 06 2023
Accepted 19 06 2023
Published 20 06 2023
This special issue aims to pay tribute to Professor Lilian Gobbi by discussing the control of gait and posture. Given
her extensive dedication to comprehending gait and posture control throughout her life, this issue delves into
cutting-edge studies that explore various aspects related to these topics. These aspects encompass mobility and
balance performance, kinematics, kinetics, muscle activity, and brain activity analysis under both normal and
adaptive conditions. Within this special issue, an array of themes associated with gait and posture control is
presented through ten dedicated articles, all of which are intended to honor Professor Lilian Gobbi. Among these,
five studies investigated locomotion, while three studies closely examined postural control. Furthermore, two studies
took on a dual-tasking, addressing both gait and posture contexts. We would also like to extend our gratitude to the
reviewers and members of the editorial board for their invaluable expertise and unwavering dedication in ensuring
the utmost quality of research presented in this editorial. The editors of this Special Issue are not only pleased with
the contributions made to honor Professor Lilian Gobbi, but also view these contributions as a celebration of
scientific collaboration and the significant strides we have taken in advancing our understanding of gait and posture.
Gait and balance are fundamental elements of human movement, playing a pivotal role in preserving functional independence
and overall quality of life. The intricate complex nature of their behaviors necessitates not only the coordination of numerous muscles and
joints but also the integration of multiple sensory inputs that guide movement control and influence adaptations
1
. However, the natural
aging process and the emergence of neurodegenerative disorders significantly compromise gait and postural control. Aging entails a
decline in various physiological systems, including the nervous system. A study conducted by Wittwer and colleagues
2
highlighted that
irregularities in gait among older adults are closely associated with an increased risk of cognitive decline and dementia
2
. In light of the
global aging population, comprehending age-related impairments in gait and postural control becomes imperative. Therefore, a
comprehensive understanding of how these impairments impact motor control during walking and posture is crucial for designing
innovative therapies and interventions that empower older individuals, both with and without movement disorders, to navigate their home
and community environments safely and independently
1
.
The global aging trend is expected to coincide with a rise in age-related neurological disorders. Parkinson's disease, a
neurological disorder with a higher incidence among older individuals, progressively affects motor function. An emblematic symptom of
Parkinson's disease is disrupted gait, characterized by shuffling steps, reduced arm swing, and a propensity to fall
3–5
. A study by Yogev-
Seligmann et al.
6
exemplified that indicated that specific gait parameters in Parkinson's disease can predict the risk of falls, underscoring
the potential of gait analysis as a clinical tool for fall prevention. Likewise, individuals with Multiple Sclerosis frequently confront gait
irregularities such as weakness, spasticity, and compromised balance, all of which lead to impaired mobility
7
. Postural control and gait
impairments are acknowledged as significant contributors to reduced quality of life among people with Multiple Sclerosis
8
. Investigating
gait and posture within the context of these conditions can yield invaluable insights into disease progression and contribute to the
formulation of targeted therapeutic interventions.
The goal of the special issue Control of Gait and Posture: a tribute to Professor Lilian T. B. Gobbi is to discuss the control of
gait and posture to make a tribute to Professor Lilian Gobbi, who passed away in 2022. Lilian’s research agenda profoundly contributed
Lilian's extensive research endeavors significantly contributed to unraveling various facets of gait and postural control, particularly in
individuals afflicted by Parkinson's disease. Her unwavering commitment to pioneering research domains and her steadfast dedication to
upholding scientific excellence stand as a remarkable legacy for the upcoming generation of researchers
9
. Considering that much of her
life was dedicated to unraveling the nuances of gait and posture control, the current special issue is designed to explore cutting-edge
studies centered around these aspects. These include mobility and balance performance, kinematics, kinetics, muscle activity, and brain
activity analysis, under both usual and adaptive conditions.
BJMB! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
Brazilian(Journal(of(Motor(Behavior(
(
David
2023
VOL.17
N.4
90 of 92
Special issue:
“Control of Gait and Posture: a tribute to Professor Lilian T. B. Gobbi”
This special issue presents a diverse array of themes pertaining to gait and posture control, encompassed by ten articles that
are dedicated to honoring Professor Lilian Gobbi. Among these contributions, five studies investigate locomotion, while three studies
focus on the intricacies of postural control. Additionally, two studies undertake a comprehensive examination of both gait and posture
contexts.
Considering that Parkinson’s disease was Lilian’s primary research interest during her career, four authors pored over their
studies on Parkinson’s disease theme. The effects of antiparkinsonian medication on the spatial-temporal gait parameters between
freezers and non-freezers with Parkinson’s disease were investigated by Oliveira et al.
10
. The authors showed different characteristics
between freezers and non-freezers such as freezers used a higher dose of medication, tended to be in a more advanced stage of the
disease, had the disease for a longer time, and impairments in spatiotemporal parameters: lower gait speed, step length, and stride
length for freezers. However, despite the more significant gait impairments for freezers compared to non-freezers, the authors showed
that medication improves gait similarly in both the freezers and non-freezers (i.e., increased gait speed, stride length, and step length). In
the sequence, two authors investigated the mobility and postural behavior of Parkinson’s disease subtypes: Postural Instability and Gait
Difficulty vs. Tremor Dominant. First, Beretta and colleagues
11
investigated the effect of long-term locomotion and balance exercise on
functional mobility considering the Parkinson’s disease subtype. Both subtypes improved functional mobility performed with concomitant
cognitive tasks and the lower limb functional strength after long-term (i.e., 16 weeks) locomotion and balance exercise program.
However, the authors highlighted the increased effect on functional mobility mainly in Postural Instability and Gait Difficulty, which was
explained due to the greater room for improvement of this subtype and exercise specificity. On the other hand, Freitas et al.
12
investigated
if motor subtypes of Parkinson’s disease impact the learning of motor tasks.
Contrary to Beretta et al.
11
, the authors did not find differences between the subtypes for learning postural control skills. They
can retain these skills in both the short and long term, even though the Postural Instability and Gait Difficulty exhibit inferior performance
compared to the Tremor Dominant
12
. To finalize this first block of papers, Sirico and collaborators
13
analyzed the effects of social
isolation due to the COVID-19 pandemic on gait parameters in people with Parkinson’s disease. The authors found that people with
Parkinson’s disease decreased by 10% and 8.8% in stride length and 12.7% and 8.6% in stride velocity during self-selected gait velocity
and fast gait velocity, respectively, after approximately 22 months of social isolation. However, changes in gait parameters were not
associated with participant characteristics.
The second topic addressed in this Special Issue was how clinical tools can be used to discriminate deficits in gait and posture
in older adults. Batistela et al.
14
examined the capability and accuracy of the Mini-BESTest for identifying fallers and non-fallers female
older adults without neurological impairments and established the cutoff scores according to different age groups. The authors were able
to demonstrate that the Mini-BESTest is a good and highly accurate tool for classifying fallers and non-fallers community-dwelling older
Brazilian women in different age groups. This is an important finding because the Mini-BESTest application can help health professionals
identify the main problems that can be addressed in an intervention program. In addition, the authors determined that the Mini-BESTest
cutoff score to classify fallers and non-fallers female older adults score was 26 for 65-69 years old. and 24 for 70+ years old. Resende
and colleagues
15
also showed that a clinical tool can be efficient in analyzing dynamic balance stability. The authors evaluated the
correlation between completion times in these clinical tests and mediolateral balance stability measured through lower trunk
accelerometry in older individuals. Their results suggest that completion time can be considered a predictor of dynamic balance in the
Five Times Sit to Stand test. However, despite clinical tools being very important for clinicians, physiotherapists and physical education
professionals, helping and facilitating diagnostic and evaluations, David
16
showed in her mini-review that although scales and clinical
tests are important tools for assessing postural instability and walking performance, they can be insensitive to minor disabilities in people
with motor disabilities, such as multiple sclerosis. Instrumented measurements, such as kinematics, kinetics, spatiotemporal gait
parameters, and center of pressure, play an important role in detecting impairment and evaluating the effects of interventions in people
with motor disabilities. Thus, objective measurements may be more suitable for tracking deficits in gait and postural balance in multiple
sclerosis, contributing to the early detection of disease symptoms, and therefore allowing for the planning of effective interventions to
control the speed of disease progression.
The third topic addressed in this Special Issue to honor Professor Lilian was dual tasking during walking and standing tasks.
First, the effects of the obstacle characteristic on gait parameters were analyzed in older people with fear of falling. Magalhães and
colleagues
17
found that the characteristics of the obstacle did not influence older people with fear of falling during walking through and
obstacle avoidance. Although they adopt predictive and reactive compensatory adaptations in an attempt to make the task safer, these
adaptations actually make the task more dangerous and increase the risk of stumbling and falling. On the other hand, Tessari and
colleagues
18
showed that cognitive plus motor dual-tasking impairs both walking and postural control. The authors showed that young
adults exhibited increased instability in postural control and mobility when using a smartphone simultaneously with a motor task. The
extent of the impact varied depending on whether the individuals were walking or standing. While participants faced comparable risks
when texting messages or talking on the phone while walking and standing, talking on the phone posed greater risks compared to texting
and the no smartphone condition. These findings should not discourage individuals from using smartphones but should alert them about
the risks involved if the device is used simultaneously with a walking or standing task.
BJMB! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
Brazilian(Journal(of(Motor(Behavior(
(
David
2023
VOL.17
N.4
91 of 92
Special issue:
“Control of Gait and Posture: a tribute to Professor Lilian T. B. Gobbi”
To close this special issue, Dascal and colleagues
19
investigated the effect of balance training on postural control in older
adults. The older adults underwent the motor intervention on the Boing balance board, which disturbed balance in the anterior-posterior
and medial-lateral directions. The intervention consisted of 6 blocks of 10 trials, organized randomly, and lasted for 20 minutes with 1
minute of rest between each block. The authors suggested that the motor intervention may be associated with improved postural control,
especially in the medial-lateral direction, indicating that motor practice using the Boing apparatus holds promise for enhancing postural
control in older adults.
We extend our sincere gratitude to the reviewers and members of the editorial board for their invaluable expertise and
unwavering dedication, which have played a pivotal role in ensuring the utmost quality of research presented in this editorial. Their
meticulous assessment and insightful feedback have undeniably bolstered the scientific integrity of the studies encapsulated within.
The editors of this Special Issue find gratification in the contributions made to honor Professor Lilian Gobbi, viewing them not
only as a tribute to her legacy but also as a celebration of the collaborative spirit inherent in scientific pursuits. Furthermore, these
contributions stand as a testament to the strides we have achieved in comprehending the intricacies of gait and posture. May Professor
Lilian Gobbi's fervor for knowledge and her profound impact on the scientific community continue to serve as an inspiration as we
persistently endeavor to advance medical science, ultimately benefiting humanity at large.
“Lilian’s research agenda profoundly contributed to understanding several aspects of gait and postural control in different
populations, mainly in people with PD. Her commitment to cutting-edge research topics and her resolute dedication to excellence in
science is a legacy for the coming generation of researchers”
9
.
THANKS, LILIAN, FOR SO MUCH!
REFERENCES
1. Barbieri FA, Vitório R, eds. Locomotion and Posture in Older Adults: The Role of Aging and Movement Disorders. Springer International Publishing;
2017. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-48980-3
2. Wittwer JE, Webster KE, Andrews PT, Menz HB. Test-retest reliability of spatial and temporal gait parameters of people with Alzheimer’s disease.
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people with Parkinson’s disease. Hum Mov Sci. 2022;83:102938. doi:10.1016/j.humov.2022.102938
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disease: comparison between individuals with and without freezing of gait. Brazilian J Mot Behav. 2023;17(4):93-102. doi: 10.20338/bjmb.v17i4.351
11. Beretta VS, Orcioli-Silva D, Jaimes DAR, Legutke BR, Sirico TM, Gonçalves PL, Gobbi LTB. Effect of long-term locomotion and balance exercise on
functional mobility considering the Parkinson’s disease subtypes: a pilot study. Brazilian J Mot Behav. 2023;17(4):103-108. doi:
10.20338/bjmb.v17i4.360
12. Freitas TB, Bonuzzi GMG, Nuvolini RA, Silva KG, Palma GCS, Freudenheim AM, Pompeu JE, Torriani-Pasin C. Does the motor subtypes of
Parkinson's disease impact the learning of postural control skills?. Brazilian J Mot Behav. 2023;17(4):109-117. doi: 10.20338/bjmb.v17i4.361
13. Sirico TM, Orcioli-Silva D, Zampier VC, Moraca GAG, Santos EFO, Beretta VS, Gobbi LTB.!The effects of social isolation on gait parameters of
older people with Parkinson’s disease. Brazilian J Mot Behav. 2023;17(4):118-125. doi: 10.20338/bjmb.v17i4.367
14. Batistela RA, Rinaldi NM, Moraes R. (2023).!Mini-BESTest cutoff points for classifying fallers and non-fallers female older adults. Brazilian J Mot
Behav. 2023;17(4):126-133. doi: 10.20338/bjmb.v17i4.354
15. Magalhães GV, Silva JA, Razuk M, Rinaldi NM. (2023).!Fear of falling is associated with gait parameters during obstacle avoidance with different
physical characteristics in older adults. Brazilian J Mot Behav.2023;17(4):134-145. doi: 10.20338/bjmb.v17i4.363
16. David AC. Mini-Review: Gait and balance assessment in multiple sclerosis. Brazilian J Mot Behav.2023;17(4):146-149. doi:
10.20338/bjmb.v17i3.357
BJMB! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
Brazilian(Journal(of(Motor(Behavior(
(
David
2023
VOL.17
N.4
92 of 92
Special issue:
“Control of Gait and Posture: a tribute to Professor Lilian T. B. Gobbi”
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task study. Brazilian J Mot Behav.2023;17(4):158-163. doi: 10.20338/bjmb.v17i3.362
19. Kimura RY, Dascal JB. (2023). Acute effect of boing balance board on postural control in older adults. Brazilian J Mot Behav.2023;17(4):164-172.
doi: 10.20338/bjmb.v17i3.356
Citation: Simieli L, Barbieri FA, Beretta VS. (2023).!Editorial: Control of Gait and Posture: a tribute to Professor Lilian T. B. Gobbi. Brazilian Journal of Motor Behavior,
17(4):89-92.
Editor-in-chief: Dr Fabio Augusto Barbieri - São Paulo State University (UNESP), Bauru, SP, Brazil. !
Associate editors: Dr José Angelo Barela - São Paulo State University (UNESP), Rio Claro, SP, Brazil; Dr Natalia Madalena Rinaldi - Federal University of Espírito Santo
(UFES), Vitória, ES, Brazil; Dr Renato de Moraes – University of São Paulo (USP), Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil.
Guest editors: Dr Fabio Augusto Barbieri - São Paulo State University (UNESP), Bauru, SP, Brazil; Dr Lucas Simieli; Dr Victor Spiandor Beretta - São Paulo State
University (UNESP), Presidente Prudente, SP, Brazil.!
Copyright:© 2023 David and BJMB. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0
International License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Funding: Nothing to declare.
Competing interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.
DOI:!https://doi.org/10.20338/bjmb.v17i4.387