The effect of aging on postural stability: a cross sectional and longitudinal study

Pasquier, Renaud Du; Blanc, Y.; Sinnreich, Michael; Landis, Théodor; Burkhard, Pierre; Vingerhoets, François

doi:10.1016/j.neucli.2003.09.001

Cited by 133 publications

(79 citation statements)

References 29 publications

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“…Sensory deficits in the lower extremity, visual impairment, and vestibular impairment contribute significantly to poor postural control in the elderly. [26][27][28][29][30] The case is worse with elderly people with diabetes because the disease can affect the central and peripheral nervous systems, vestibular system, and vision, resulting in poor sensory input and limited central processing of the information received by the brain leading to poor body balance. 10,31,32 Defects in body balance result in increased body sway, decreased postural stability, and increased incidence of falls.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tactile Intervention as a Novel Technique in Improving Body Stability in Healthy Elderly and Elderly with Diabetes

Alshammari

Petrofsky

Daher

et al. 2014

Diabetes Technology & Therapeutics

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Background: Body sway increases in the elderly because of normal aging and high incidence of disease such as diabetes. Prevalence of sway is greater in the elderly with diabetes because of damage to the central and peripheral nervous systems. Increase in body sway is associated with an elevated risk of falling. Falling is one of the major causes of morbidity and mortality in the elderly. The purpose of this study was to develop a new technique to improve body stability and decrease body sway in the elderly people with or without diabetes. Subjects and Methods: Twenty-two subjects-12 elderly (mean age, 75.5 -7.3 years) and 10 age-matched elderly with diabetes (mean age, 72.5 -5.3 years)-were recruited for this study. Subjects received tactile feedback as a tingling sensation resulting from electrical stimulation triggered by body sway. Results: The results showed a significant reduction in body sway in the elderly while standing on foam with eyes open (1.0 -0.31 vs. 1.9 -0.8; P = 0.006) and eyes closed (1.8 -0.7 vs. 3.3 -1.5; P = 0.001). In the group with diabetes, there was a significant reduction in body sway while standing on foam with eyes closed (1.4 -0.5 vs. 2.3 -0.8; P = 0.045) but not with eyes open. Conclusions: In this small study, this technique offers a new tool for training people with diabetes and elderly people to improve body stability and balance.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tactile Intervention as a Novel Technique in Improving Body Stability in Healthy Elderly and Elderly with Diabetes

Alshammari

Petrofsky

Daher

et al. 2014

Diabetes Technology & Therapeutics

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“…In humans this information is obtained via the complex interactions of sensory systems (primarily the somatosensory, visual, and vestibular systems) and motor systems. 4 Aging results in a decline in the function of these systems and their interaction, which has been related to reduced balance ability and thus increased fall risk. [5][6][7] One of the major proprioceptive mechanisms involved in maintaining balance is the stretch reflex (the reflex contraction of a muscle in response to an increase in muscle length detected by the muscle spindles).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Tendon structural and mechanical properties do not differ between genders in a healthy community‐dwelling elderly population

Burgess

Pearson

Breen

et al. 2009

Journal Orthopaedic Research

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Elderly women are reportedly at higher risk of falling than their male counterparts. Postural balance is highly associated with fall risk and is also correlated with tendon structural and mechanical properties. Gender differences in tendon properties could partly explain the discrepancy in fall risk. Thus the purpose of this study was to investigate the possible gender difference in tendon properties in the elderly. The properties of the patellar tendon of 55 elderly (men n ¼ 27, aged 72 AE 1 years, women n ¼ 28, aged 70 AE 1 years) participants were tested. Tendon stiffness (K), length (L), and cross-sectional area (CSA) were measured using B-mode ultrasonography, dynamometry, and electromyography during ramped isometric knee extensions. There were no significant differences ( p > 0.05) between men and women in tendon stiffness (elderly men 550.9 AE 29.2 vs. women 502.9 AE 44.9 Nmm À1 ) or in Young's modulus (elderly men 0.32 AE 0.02 vs. women 0.36 AE 0.04 GPa). This elderly group had similar tendon structural and mechanical properties. The comparable characteristics in genderspecific tendon properties in an elderly population exhibiting similar lifestyle characteristics to the current sample may not explain the reports in the literature regarding increased fall risk in elderly women relative to that seen in men of a similar age. Keywords: aging; gender differences; patellar tendon; stiffness; Young's modulusIn the last 30 years the proportion of the population aged 65 years or more has increased to 16% in the UK and this increase is set to continue (The Office for National Statistics, 2006). Approximately one-third of people aged over 65 fall at least once a year, and about half of these do so recurrently, leading to injury and subsequent decrease in quality of life, and in many cases death. 1 Elderly women exhibit a higher risk of falling than their male counterparts, 2,3 and most falls occur after a loss of stability in a forward direction such as tripping while walking. 2 In order to maintain balance individuals require information concerning the orientation of the body in space and the geometry of the body. In humans this information is obtained via the complex interactions of sensory systems (primarily the somatosensory, visual, and vestibular systems) and motor systems. 4 Aging results in a decline in the function of these systems and their interaction, which has been related to reduced balance ability and thus increased fall risk. [5][6][7]

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“…Recent experimental studies have shown that postural sway analysis can be used to quantify changes in body or neural control due to pathologies [3], traumas [4] or ageing [29]. Complementing such data with mathematical models like the one we have proposed can help to devise tests with better discrimination while possibly uncovering the reason for performance degradation with age.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Balancing on tightropes and slacklines

Paoletti

Mahadevan

2012

J. R. Soc. Interface.

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Balancing on a tightrope or a slackline is an example of a neuromechanical task where the whole body both drives and responds to the dynamics of the external environment, often on multiple timescales. Motivated by a range of neurophysiological observations, here we formulate a minimal model for this system and use optimal control theory to design a strategy for maintaining an upright position. Our analysis of the open and closed-loop dynamics shows the existence of an optimal rope sag where balancing requires minimal effort, consistent with qualitative observations and suggestive of strategies for optimizing balancing performance while standing and walking. Our consideration of the effects of nonlinearities, potential parameter coupling and delays on the overall performance shows that although these factors change the results quantitatively, the existence of an optimal strategy persists.

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The effect of aging on postural stability: a cross sectional and longitudinal study

Cited by 133 publications

References 29 publications

Tactile Intervention as a Novel Technique in Improving Body Stability in Healthy Elderly and Elderly with Diabetes

Tactile Intervention as a Novel Technique in Improving Body Stability in Healthy Elderly and Elderly with Diabetes

Tendon structural and mechanical properties do not differ between genders in a healthy community‐dwelling elderly population

Balancing on tightropes and slacklines

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