Swing Time Variability

Swing time variability is a measure of the consistency of swing time between strides. Unbalanced gait is characterized by inconsistent stepping patterns, so a high swing time variability might be an indicator of poor balance ability, potentially leading to falls.

Table 5: Normative values of swing time variability for non-diseased elderly men and women

Age (years)	Gender	Swing Time Variability (s)
70-74	Male	0.03
70-74	Female	0.04
75-79	Male	0.05
75-79	Female	0.04
80-84	Male	0.04
80-84	Female	0.04
>85	Male	0.06
>85	Female	0.05

Oh-Park, M., Holtzer, R., Xue, X., & Verghese, J. (2010). Conventional and robust quantitative gait norms in community-dwelling older adults. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 58(8), 1512–1518. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1532-5415.2010.02962.x

Table 6: Normative values of swing time variability for men and women with Parkinson’s Disease (PD)

Stage of PD	Gender	Swing Time Variability (s)
<1.5	Male	0.03
<1.5	Female	0.05
2-2.5	Male	0.02
2-2.5	Female	0.02
3-4	Male	0.03
3-4	Female	0.02

Hass CJ, Malczak P, Nocera J, Stegemöller EL, Shukala A, et al. (2012) Correction: Quantitative Normative Gait Data in a Large Cohort of Ambulatory Persons with Parkinson’s Disease. PLOS ONE 7(10): 10.1371/annotation/d4b5158e-0dd1-4e14-b03a-1af4d5f06c0e.

Swing time variability for falls risk flagging - High swing time variability is independent of gait speed, making it an important flag for walking instability and falls risk assessment.

Frenkel-Toledo, Silvi, Giladi, Nir, Peretz, Chava, Herman, Talia, Gruendlinger, Leor, & Hausdorff, Jeffrey M. (2005). Effect of gait speed on gait rhythmicity in Parkinson's disease: variability of stride time and swing time respond differently. Journal of Neuroengineering and Rehabilitation, 2(1), 23–23. https://doi.org/10.1186/1743-0003-2-23