The relationships between compensatory stepping thresholds and measures of gait, standing postural control, strength, and balance confidence in older women

Abstract Background The capacity of postural control is a key factor related to falling in older people, particularly in older women with low back pain (LBP). Cognitive involvement in postural control increases with age. However, most scholars have not considered different difficulty levels of cognitive loads when exploring the effects of cognition on postural control in older patients with LBP. The present study is to investigate how different levels of cognitive loads modulate postural control in older women with LBP. Methods This was a cross-sectional study. Twenty older women with LBP were recruited into the LBP group, and 20 healthy older women without the history of LBP were recruited into the healthy control group. Balance parameters were computed to quantify postural control. All participants underwent the balance test, which required the participant to maintain stability during standing on a force platform with or without a concurrent cognitive task. The balance test included three levels of difficulties of posture tasks (eyes-open vs. eyes-closed vs. one-leg stance) and three cognitive tasks (without cognitive task vs. auditory arithmetic task vs. serial-7 s arithmetic task). Results A repeated-measure analysis of variance (3 postural tasks × 3 congnitive tasks× 2 groups) testing the effects of the different congnitive task levels on the performance in different postural conditions. Older women with LBP had worse postural control (as reflected by larger center of pressure (COP) parameters) than control group regardless of postural or cognitive difficulties. Compared with the single task, the COP parameters of participants with LBP were larger during dual tasks, even though the difficulty level of the cognitive task was low. Larger COP parameters were shown only if the difficulty level of the cognitive task was high in control group. Correlations between sway area/sway length and the number of falls were significant in dual tasks. Conclusion Our findings shed light on how cognitive loads modulate postural control for older women with LBP. Compared with control group, cognitive loads showed more disturbing effects on postural control in older women with LBP, which was associated with falling.

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Surface height effects on postural control: A hypothesis for a stiffness strategy for stance*

Journal of Vestibular Research ◽

10.3233/ves-1999-9405 ◽

1999 ◽

Vol 9 (4) ◽

pp. 277-286 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Mark G. Carpenter ◽

James S. Frank ◽

Cathy P. Silcher

Keyword(s):

Postural Control ◽

Center Of Pressure ◽

High Surface ◽

Quiet Standing ◽

Vestibular Input ◽

Mean Power ◽

Mean Power Frequency ◽

Balance Confidence ◽

Eyes Closed ◽

Ankle Stiffness

One possible factor influencing the control of upright stance is the perceived threat to one's personal safety, i.e. balance confidence. We explored this factor by examining the control of stationary stance when standing on an elevated platform under various conditions of reduced visual and vestibular inputs. Twenty-eight adults (14 male and 14 female, mean age = 23.5 years) participated in the experiment. Postural control was examined by recording the amplitude variability (RMS) and mean power frequency (MPF) of center of pressure excursions (COP) over a 2-minute interval while participants stood in a normal stance on a low (0.19 m) and a high (0.81 m) platform with toes positioned either at or away from the edge of the platform. Vision was manipulated through eyes open and eyes closed trials. Vestibular input was reduced by tilting the head into extension [1]. Anterior-posterior RMS and MPF of COP were significantly influenced by an interaction between surface height and vision. When vision was available, a significant decrease in RMS was observed during quiet standing on a high surface compared to a low surface independent of step restriction. When vision was available MPF increased when subjects were raised from a low to a high surface. The mean position of the COP was significantly influenced by an interaction between height and step restriction. Differences in RMS and MPF responses to height manipulation were observed between genders in eyes closed conditions. Vestibular input influenced postural control at both low and high levels with significant increases in RMS when vestibular input was reduced. The reciprocal changes observed in RMS and MPF suggest modifications to postural control through changes in ankle stiffness. Vision appears to play a role in increasing ankle stiffness when balance confidence is compromised.

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Association between somatosensory, visual and vestibular contributions to postural control, reactive balance capacity and healthy ageing in older women

Health Care For Women International ◽

10.1080/07399332.2018.1499106 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 39 (12) ◽

pp. 1366-1380 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Lisa Alcock ◽

Thomas D O’Brien ◽

Natalie Vanicek

Keyword(s):

Postural Control ◽

Older Women ◽

Healthy Ageing ◽

Reactive Balance

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Respiratory pump contributions in cerebrovascular and postural control responses during orthostatic stress in older women

Respiratory Physiology & Neurobiology ◽

10.1016/j.resp.2020.103384 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 275 ◽

pp. 103384 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Gabriel Dias Rodrigues ◽

Jonas Lírio Gurgel ◽

Iuri dos Santos Galdino ◽

Antonio Claudio Lucas da Nóbrega ◽

Pedro Paulo da Silva Soares

Keyword(s):

Postural Control ◽

Older Women ◽

Orthostatic Stress

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Obesity and falls in older women: Mediating effects of muscle quality, foot loads and postural control

Gait & Posture ◽

10.1016/j.gaitpost.2020.01.025 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 77 ◽

pp. 138-143 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Silvia G.R. Neri ◽

Lara A. Harvey ◽

Anne Tiedemann ◽

André B. Gadelha ◽

Ricardo M. Lima

Keyword(s):

Postural Control ◽

Older Women ◽

Muscle Quality ◽

Mediating Effects

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The Effects of a Dance-Based Program on the Postural Control in Older Women

Topics in Geriatric Rehabilitation ◽

10.1097/tgr.0000000000000166 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 33 (4) ◽

pp. 244-249

Author(s):

André Luiz Felix Rodacki ◽

Christina Paramustchak Cruz Cepeda ◽

Angélica Lodovico ◽

Carlos Ugrinowitsch

Keyword(s):

Postural Control ◽

Older Women

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Characteristics of postural balance in older female fire victims

Medico-Biological and Socio-Psychological Problems of Safety in Emergency Situations ◽

10.25016/2541-7487-2018-0-4-68-75 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. 68-75

Author(s):

A. B. Gudkov ◽

A. V. Dyomin ◽

O. N. Popova ◽

A. V. Gribanov

Keyword(s):

Postural Control ◽

Older Women ◽

Postural Balance ◽

Balance Control ◽

Fire Hazard ◽

Emergency Situations ◽

Sensory Organization ◽

Equilibrium Function ◽

Fire Victims

Relevance.Compared with economically developed countries, Russia has a high risk of fires. In 2005–2017 in (175.8 ± 9.0) thousand fires were reported in Russia annually, with (81.1 ± 5.3) thousand people rescued, (12.6 ± 0.9) thousand died and (12.1 ± 0.4) thousand injured. The average annual direct damage from fires was (13.4 ± 1.1) billion rubles. The experienced extreme and emergency situations have a particularly significant impact on the functional status and health of an older person.Intention.The purpose of this work is to identify the features of the components of postural balance in older women who have survived a fire.Methodology.94 women aged 60–69 years were examined. The study group included women who, as a result of the fire, lost (in part or in full) their possessions and housing (fire victims). The comparison group randomly included women without any extreme situations (fire hazard, crime, road traffic, as well as the death of close relatives) over the past two years. To assess the quality of the equilibrium function, posture control strategy and sensory organization of postural control, we conducted the Sensory Organization Test (SOT) of the computer dynamic posturographic complex Smart Equitest Balance Manager.Results and discussion.Based on the SOT analysis, it was found that stressful situations associated with extreme or emergency situations experienced by older women influence the components of their postural balance. These changes included a decrease in the quality of the equilibrium function in functional tests 1, 2, 3, 5, 6 for fire victims; a decrease in the postural strategy in tests 5 and 6; a decrease in the resulting assessments of both the quality of the equilibrium function and the strategies for maintaining the posture of the entire SOT, as well as the degree of participation of vestibular information in the balance control.Conclusions.In female fire victims, the components of postural control change: the quality of the equilibrium function decreases, the strategy of maintaining posture deteriorates.

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