Gait adaptation is crucial for adults at risk for mobility disability, and executive function and physical function may be important for adaptation performance. Gait adaptation can be measured using a treadmill with two belts, known as a split-belt treadmill. Increasing evidence supports that gait adaptability, executive function, and physical function are interrelated in older adults. The purpose of this study was to determine if: a) executive function and measures of relative effort of the ankle and knee relate to split-belt treadmill adaptation; b) older adults classified as fast adapters display differences in relative effort, executive function, and propulsive impulse (push-off) compared to slow adapters; and c) spatial and temporal control differ between individuals with faster rate of adaptation compared to those with slower rates of adaptation. Greater effort of the knee on the slow belt was related to faster early adaptation (r = 0.650, p = 0.005) indicating its importance for adapting quickly to the perturbation. We did not observe a relationship between cognitive tests and adaptation performance. We did not detect any statistical differences in cognitive tests performance, push-off, spatial or temporal control between fast adapters compared to slow adapters. Our results suggest that in older adults at risk for mobility disability, higher effort at the knee is important for early split-belt adaptation.

步态适应对有行动障碍风险的成年人至关重要，执行功能和身体功能对适应表现可能很重要。步态适应性可以使用带有两条皮带的跑步机（称为皮带式跑步机）进行测量。越来越多的证据支持老年人的步态适应性，执行功能和身体功能相互关联。这项研究的目的是确定：a）脚踝和膝盖的执行功能和相对力的度量是否与皮带式跑步机的适应性有关；b）与慢速适配器相比，被归类为快速适配器的老年人在相对努力，执行功能和推进冲动（推动力）方面存在差异；c）适应速度较快的人与适应速度较慢的人之间的空间和时间控制有所不同。膝盖在慢带上的更大努力与更快的早期适应有关（r  = 0.650，p  = 0.005）说明其对于快速适应扰动的重要性。我们没有观察到认知测验和适应能力之间的关系。与慢适配器相比，我们在认知测试性能，下推，空间或时间控制方面未发现任何统计学差异。我们的研究结果表明，在有行动不便风险的老年人中，膝盖的更大努力对于早期的分裂式腰带适应很重要。