Eyes-closed vs. eyes-open EEG in young and older adults

Abstract Purpose: Falls are a risk factor for mortality in older adults. Light interventions can improve cognitive function and performance in motor tasks, but the potential impact on postural control with relevance to falling is unknown. This study aimed to examine the effect of light on postural control, motor coordination, and cognitive functioning. Methods: Sixteen older adults participated in an intervention study that involved four counter-balanced sessions with blue-enriched light delivered visually and/or transcranially for 12 minutes. Postural control in three conditions (60 s eyes open, dual-task, and eyes closed), lower extremity motor coordination, and cognitive function were assessed. Area of sway (AoS), coordination, and cognitive function were compared between the groups via repeated-measured ANOVA. Results: Relative to placebo, visual blue-enriched light exposure clearly decreased AoS (d = 0.68 ±0.73; p =0.166) and improved reaction time in the motor coordination task (d = 1.44 ±0.75; p =0.004); however, no significant effect was seen on cognitive function. Conclusion Blue-enriched light demonstrates a novel clinical approach to positively impact on postural control and lower-limb motor coordination in older adults. By impacting on metrics associated with fall risk, blue-enriched light may provide a clinically meaningful countermeasure to decrease the human costs of falls.

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Visual Information Effect to Control Body Sway in Older Adults in the Community. Magnitude of Body Sway with Eyes Open and Eyes Closed.

Equilibrium Research ◽

10.3757/jser.58.640 ◽

1999 ◽

Vol 58 (6) ◽

pp. 640-644

Author(s):

Hideyuki Okuzumi ◽

Taketo Furuna ◽

Satoshi Nishizawa ◽

Miho Sugiura

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Visual Information ◽

Body Sway ◽

Information Effect ◽

Eyes Closed ◽

Eyes Open ◽

Control Body

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Static balance in older adults with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease undergoing pulmonary rehabilitation

10.5327/z2447-212320201900091 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 14 (2) ◽

pp. 98-107

Author(s):

Clara Narcisa Silva Almeida ◽

Rayane Alves da Costa ◽

Kaio Primo Manso ◽

Juliana Figueiredo Ferreira ◽

Bianca Callegari ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Pulmonary Disease ◽

Pulmonary Rehabilitation ◽

Respiratory Muscle ◽

Chronic Obstructive ◽

Effect Analysis ◽

Obstructive Pulmonary Disease ◽

Eyes Closed ◽

Total Displacement ◽

Eyes Open

OBJECTIVE: To compare balance between older adults with and without chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in tasks involving proprioceptive changes and respiratory muscle load, and to investigate the association between balance, functional capacity, and peripheral and respiratory muscle strength. METHODS: Fourteen older adults with COPD undergoing pulmonary rehabilitation and nine older adults without pulmonary disease were evaluated for static balance on a force platform under four conditions: eyes open, eyes closed, eyes closed on foam, and eyes open with respiratory overload. Differences between groups, among conditions and group/condition interactions, were tested using two-way ANOVA. Associations were explored using Pearson’s correlation coefficient. RESULTS: No differences in the posturographic variables were found in the group/condition interactions (p ≥ 0.23). The COPD group exhibited greater total displacement (F = 8.79, p = 0.003), mediolateral sway (F = 4.01, p = 0.04) and anteroposterior velocity (F = 4.28, p = 0.04) in the group effect analysis. Significant differences were found between eyes closed on foam and other conditions for all posturographic variables: anteroposterior sway (F = 13.39), mediolateral sway (F = 28.58), total displacement (F = 59.4), area (F = 37.68), anteroposterior velocity (F = 26.42), and mediolateral velocity (F = 33.29), in the condition effect analysis (p < 0.001, post-hoc). In the COPD group, significant correlations were found between the Glittre-ADL test, anteroposterior sway (r = 0.68, p = 0.01), and anteroposterior velocity (r = 0.67, p = 0.009); the 6MWT was also correlated with anteroposterior velocity (r = 0.59, p = 0.03). CONCLUSION: Older adults with COPD present balance deficits compared to healthy individuals. The unstable surface caused greater postural instability compared to other conditions in both groups. Impaired balance was associated with reduced physical function and exercise capacity.

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Different visual manipulations have similar effects on quasi-static and dynamic balance responses of young and older people

PeerJ ◽

10.7717/peerj.11221 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 ◽

pp. e11221

Author(s):

Daniel Schmidt ◽

Felipe P. Carpes ◽

Thomas L. Milani ◽

Andresa M.C. Germano

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Balance Control ◽

Dynamic Balance ◽

Visual Deprivation ◽

Elderly Persons ◽

Eyes Closed ◽

Balance Tests ◽

Postural Responses ◽

Eyes Open ◽

Visual Conditions

Background Studies demonstrated that the older adults can be more susceptible to balance instability after acute visual manipulation. There are different manipulation approaches used to investigate the importance of visual inputs on balance, e.g., eyes closed and blackout glasses. However, there is evidence that eyes open versus eyes closed results in a different organization of human brain functional networks. It is, however, unclear how different visual manipulations affect balance, and whether such effects differ between young and elderly persons. Therefore, this study aimed to determine whether different visual manipulation approaches affect quasi-static and dynamic balance responses differently, and to investigate whether balance responses of young and older adults are affected differently by these various visual conditions. Methods Thirty-six healthy participants (20 young and 16 older adults) performed balance tests (quasi-static and unexpected perturbations) under four visual conditions: Eyes Open, Eyes Closed, Blackout Glasses, and Dark Room. Center of pressure (CoP) and muscle activation (EMG) were quantified. Results As expected, visual deprivation resulted in larger CoP excursions and higher muscle activations during balance tests for all participants. Surprisingly, the visual manipulation approach did not influence balance control in either group. Furthermore, quasi-static and dynamic balance control did not differ between young or older adults. The visual system plays an important role in balance control, however, similarly for both young and older adults. Different visual deprivation approaches did not influence balance results, meaning our results are comparable between participants of different ages. Further studies should investigate whether a critical illumination level may elicit different postural responses between young and older adults.

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Sensory Sub- and Suprathreshold TENS Exhibit No Immediate Effect on Postural Steadiness in Older Adults with No Balance Impairments

BioMed Research International ◽

10.1155/2020/2451291 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 2020 ◽

pp. 1-9

Author(s):

Darja Rugelj ◽

Marko Vidovič ◽

Renata Vauhnik

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Postural Sway ◽

Community Dwelling ◽

Electrode Placement ◽

Future Research ◽

Conscious Perception ◽

Time Intervals ◽

Plantar Surface ◽

Eyes Closed ◽

Eyes Open

Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) has been reported to attenuate postural sway; however, the results are inconclusive, with some indicating the effect and others not. The study aimed to evaluate the effect of sensory sub- and suprathreshold low-frequency TENS applied through the plantar surface and posterior aspect of shanks on postural sway. In a group of healthy community-dwelling older adults, TENS was delivered with two different current intensities: (1) subsensory which is below conscious perception and (2) suprasensory threshold which is within the range of conscious perception. Frequencies of the TENS stimulation were sweeping from 5 to 180 Hz and were delivered through the plantar surface and posterior shanks of both legs. Postural sway was measured with a force platform in eyes-open and eyes-closed conditions. To evaluate potential fast adaptability to TENS stimuli, the results were evaluated in two time intervals: 30 seconds and 60 seconds. The results indicated that TENS with the chosen frequencies and electrode placement did not affect postural sway in both the sub- and suprathreshold intensities of TENS, in eyes-open and eyes-closed conditions, and in 30-second and 60-second time intervals. In conclusion, given that in this study sub- and suprathreshold TENS applied via the plantar surface of the feet did not attenuate postural sway, it would be easy to conclude that this type of electrical stimuli is ineffective and no further research is required. We must caution against this, given the specificity of the electrode placements. We recommend that future research be performed consisting of individuals with balance impairments and with different positions of electrodes.

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Coordination of segments reorientation during on-the-spot turns in healthy older adults in eyes-open and eyes-closed conditions

Gait & Posture ◽

10.1016/j.gaitpost.2010.09.006 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 32 (4) ◽

pp. 632-636 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Sakineh B. Akram ◽

James S. Frank ◽

Julia Fraser

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Healthy Older Adults ◽

Eyes Closed ◽

Eyes Open

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The Effects of Exergaming on Sensory Reweighting and Mediolateral Stability of Women Aged Over 60: Usability Study (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.27884 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Mariann Sápi ◽

Anna Fehér-Kiss ◽

Krisztina Csernák ◽

Andrea Domján ◽

Sándor Pintér

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Balance Training ◽

Baseline Data ◽

Usability Study ◽

Sensory Reweighting ◽

Eyes Closed ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Risk Of Falls ◽

Eyes Open

BACKGROUND Older adults tend to experience difficulties in switching quickly between various reliable sensory inputs, which ultimately may contribute to an increased risk of falls and injuries. Sideward falls are the most frequent cause of hip fractures among older adults. Recently, exergame programs have been confirmed as beneficial tools for enhancing postural control, which can reduce the risk of falls. However, studies to explore more precisely which mechanism of exergaming directly influences older women’s ability to balance are still needed. OBJECTIVE Our aim was to evaluate, in a single-group pretest/posttest/follow-up usability study, whether Kinect exergame balance training might have a beneficial impact on the sensory reweighting in women aged over 60. METHODS A total of 14 healthy women (mean age 69.57 [SD 4.66] years, mean body mass index 26.21 [SD 2.6] kg/m2) participated in the study. The volunteers trained with the commercially available games of Kinect for Xbox 360 console 3 times (30 minutes/session) a week over a 6-week period (total of 18 visits). Participants’ postural sway in both the anteroposterior (AP) and mediolateral (ML) directions was recorded with NeuroCom Balance Master 6.0. To assess and measure postural sensory reweighting, the Modified Clinical Test of Sensory Interaction in Balance was used, where volunteers were exposed to various changes in visual (eyes open or eyes closed) and surface conditions (firm or foam surface). RESULTS In the ML direction, the Kinect exergame training caused a significant decrease in the sway path on the firm surface with the eyes open (P<.001) and eyes closed (P=.001), and on the foam surface with the eyes open (P=.001) and eyes closed (P<.001) conditions compared with baseline data. The follow-up measurements when compared with the baseline data showed a significant change in the sway path on the firm surface with the eyes open (P<.001) and eyes closed (P<.001) conditions, as well as on the foam surface with the eyes open (P=.003) and eyes closed (P<.001) conditions. Besides, on the firm surface, there were no significant differences in sway path values in the AP direction between the baseline and the posttraining measurements (eyes open: P=.49; eyes closed: P=.18). Likewise, on the foam surface, there were no significant differences in sway path values in the AP direction under both eyes open (P=.24) and eyes closed (P=.84) conditions. CONCLUSIONS The improved posturography measurements of the sway path in the ML direction might suggest that the Kinect exergame balance training may have effects on sensory reweighting, and thus on the balance of women aged over 60. Based on these results, Kinect exergaming may provide a safe and potentially useful tool for improving postural stability in the crucial ML direction, and thus it may help reduce the risk of falling.

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POSTURAL SWAY IN LOWER EXTREMITY AMPUTEES AND OLDER ADULTS MAY SUGGEST INCREASED FALL RISK IN AMPUTEES

Canadian Prosthetics & Orthotics Journal ◽

10.33137/cpoj.v3i2.33804 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 3 (2) ◽

Author(s):

Hamid Bateni

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Young Adults ◽

Lower Extremity ◽

Frequency Domain ◽

Visual Information ◽

Fall Risk ◽

Postural Sway ◽

Proprioceptive Information ◽

Eyes Closed ◽

Eyes Open

BACKGROUND: Falls can be detrimental to overall health and quality of life for lower extremity amputees. Most previous studies of postural steadiness focus on quantification of time series variables extracted from postural sway signals. While it has been suggested that frequency domain variables can provide more valuable information, few current studies have evaluated postural sway in amputees using frequency domain variables. OBJECTIVE: To determine time and frequency domain variables of postural sway among lower extremity amputees vs. healthy young and older adult controls. METHODOLOGY: Participants were assigned to 3 groups: lower extremity amputation (n=6), healthy young adults (n=10), and healthy older adults (n=10). Standing barefoot on a force platform, each individual completed 3 trials of each of 3 standing conditions: eyes open, eyes closed, and standing on a foam balance pad. Time and frequency domain variables of postural sway were computed and analyzed. RESULTS: Comparison of older adults, younger adults, and amputees on the three conditions of standing eyes open, eyes closed, and on foam revealed significant differences between groups. Mean mediolateral (ML) sway distance from the center of pressure (COP), total excursions and sway velocity was significantly higher for amputees and older adults when compared to young adults (p<0.05). Furthermore, power of sway signal was substantially lower for both amputees and older adults. When compared to that of older adults, postural steadiness of amputees was more affected by the eyes closed condition, whereas older adults’ was more affected when sensory and proprioceptive information was perturbed by standing on foam. CONCLUSION: Our findings showed that fall risk is greater in amputees than in young adults without amputation. Additionally, amputees may rely more heavily on visual information than proprioceptive information for balance, in contrast to older and young adults without amputation. Layman's Abstract Falls can be detrimental to overall health and quality of life for lower extremity amputees. We evaluated postural sway and concluded that amputees have an increased fall risk and may rely more heavily on visual information for balance than do individuals without amputation. Article PDF Link:https://jps.library.utoronto.ca/index.php/cpoj/article/view/33804/26600 How To Cite: Bateni H. Postural sway in lower extremity amputees and older adults may suggest increased fall risk in amputees. Canadian Prosthetics & Orthotics Journal. 2020;Volume 3, Issue 2, No.4. https://doi.org/10.33137/cpoj.v3i2.33804 Corresponding Author: Hamid Bateni, PhD Physical Therapy Program, School of Allied Health and Communicative Disorders, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, Illinois, USA.E-mail: [email protected]: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9083-1817

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Head stability in older adults during walking with and without visual input

Journal of Vestibular Research ◽

10.3233/ves-2001-11205 ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 11 (2) ◽

pp. 105-114

Author(s):

Ronita L. Cromwell ◽

Roberta A. Newton ◽

Gail Forrest

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Frequency Spectrum ◽

Sagittal Plane ◽

Proprioceptive Information ◽

Eyes Closed ◽

Trunk Movements ◽

Angular Velocities ◽

Eyes Open ◽

Walking Velocity ◽

Head Stability

The purposes of this study were to 1) characterize head stabilization in older adults across the frequency spectrum of walking, and 2) assess the ability of older adults to adapt head-trunk coordination to maintain head stability in the absence of vision. Sagittal plane head and trunk angular velocities in space were measured for 17 healthy older adults while walking with eyes open (EO) and eyes closed (EC). Average walking velocity and cadence were also determined. Frequency analyses were used to examine head velocities in space and head-on-trunk with respect to trunk gain and phase values across the frequency spectrum of walking. Average walking velocity decreased with EC. Head stability was maintained during EO, but decreased during EC as indicated by increased head velocities across the frequency spectrum. Gain values increased while phase values remained similar during EC walking demonstrating diminished coordination of head-trunk movements. When relying on vestibular and proprioceptive information, older adults were unable to adapt head-trunk movements suggesting impaired plasticity of these systems with age.

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The Effect of a Virtual Reality-Based Intervention Program on Cognition in Older Adults with Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Randomized Control Trial

Journal of Clinical Medicine ◽

10.3390/jcm9051283 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 9 (5) ◽

pp. 1283 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Ngeemasara Thapa ◽

Hye Jin Park ◽

Ja-Gyeong Yang ◽

Haeun Son ◽

Minwoo Jang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Virtual Reality ◽

Cognitive Impairment ◽

Mild Cognitive Impairment ◽

Resting State ◽

Intervention Program ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Intervention Group ◽

Eyes Closed ◽

Eyes Open

This study aimed to investigate the association between a virtual reality (VR) intervention program and cognitive, brain and physical functions in high-risk older adults. In a randomized controlled trial, we enrolled 68 individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). The MCI diagnosis was based on medical evaluations through a clinical interview conducted by a dementia specialist. Cognitive assessments were performed by neuropsychologists according to standardized methods, including the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and frontal cognitive function: trail making test (TMT) A & B, and symbol digit substitute test (SDST). Resting state electroencephalogram (EEG) was measured in eyes open and eyes closed conditions for 5 minutes each, with a 19-channel wireless EEG device. The VR intervention program (3 times/week, 100 min each session) comprised four types of VR game-based content to improve the attention, memory and processing speed. Analysis of the subjects for group–time interactions revealed that the intervention group exhibited a significantly improved executive function and brain function at the resting state. Additionally, gait speed and mobility were also significantly improved between and after the follow-up. The VR-based training program improved cognitive and physical function in patients with MCI relative to controls. Encouraging patients to perform VR and game-based training may be beneficial to prevent cognitive decline.

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