Reduced Motor Individuality in Older Adults Revealed by Network-Based Gait Fingerprinting

first_pagesettingsOrder Article Reprints Open AccessArticle Reduced Motor Individuality in Older Adults Revealed by Network-Based Gait Fingerprinting by Emahnuel Troisi Lopez 1,Roberta Minino 1,Mariam Maisuradze 2,Francesca Latino 1,* andMaria Giovanna Tafuri 3 1 Department of Education and Sport Sciences, Pegaso University, 80143 Naples, Italy 2 Department of Medical, Motor and Wellness Sciences, University of Naples “Parthenope”, 80133 Napoli, Italy 3 Department of Literary, Linguistic and Philosophical Studies, Pegaso University, 80143 Naples, Italy * Author to whom correspondence should be addressed. Medicina 2025, 61(8), 1454; https://doi.org/10.3390/medicina61081454 Submission received: 19 July 2025 / Revised: 4 August 2025 / Accepted: 6 August 2025 / Published: 12 August 2025 (This article belongs to the Section Neurology) Downloadkeyboard_arrow_down Browse Figures Versions Notes Abstract Background and Objectives: Gait is a fundamental human behavior essential for individual autonomy and well-being; it reflects a complex inter-joint coordination that can change with aging. Materials and Methods: This study applied a network-based fingerprinting approach to evaluate the stability and individuality of gait coordination in adults (mean age: 41.6) and older adults (mean age: 73.5). Each participant completed two gait recordings, from which we constructed kinematic networks (i.e., kinectome) representing joint–velocity correlations. Then, borrowing from network fingerprinting techniques, we computed measures of intra-subject similarity (Iself), inter-subject similarity within the same group (Iothers), cross-group similarity (Iextra), and individual discriminability (Differentiation rate, DR). Results: While Iself was comparable across groups, older adults showed higher Iothers and lower DR, indicating more homogeneous and less distinctive coordination patterns. Furthermore, Iothers was significantly higher than Iextra in the older group only, suggesting age-specific convergence in motor behavior. Conclusions: These findings support the hypothesis that aging reduces the individuality of gait coordination, possibly due to adaptive or degenerative changes in motor control. Kinectome-based fingerprinting thus offers a promising tool for capturing subtle shifts in neuromotor organizations linked to aging.