AGING DIMINISHES THE DIRECT ASSOCIATION BETWEEN BRAIN ACTIVATION AND POSTURAL CONTROL DURING THE N-BACK TASK

Abstract Aging diminishes the control of standing posture, which relies upon the capacity to activate brain regions involved in cognitive-motor function. Our prior work shows that impaired cerebral blood flow (CBF) regulation within the middle cerebral artery (MCA) in response to the N-Back executive function task is linked to worse walking performance in older adults. However, the effects of aging on the relationship between CBF regulation and postural control during the N-Back task is unknown. Sixteen young (27 years) and 15 older participants (76 years) stood upright and completed the N-Back (i.e., control [Identify X, IdX] and an experimental condition [2-Back]) presented on a screen while CBF and postural sway were simultaneously recorded. CBF was recorded using transcranial Doppler. Sway was recorded using a lumbar motion sensor. Elliptical area, root mean square (RMS), distance, velocity, and acceleration were computed. There were no group differences in sway outcomes (p>0.37). Young participants had higher CBF during the IdX and 2-Back compared to older participants (p<0.001). Within the young, and not within older participants, those with lower CBF during performance of the 2-Back exhibited greater elliptical area (β=-0.67, p=0.03) and RMS (β=-0.68, p=0.03), faster acceleration (β=-0.78, p=0.02), and longer distance (β=-0.64, p=0.04). There were no associations between CBF and sway outcomes in either group during the IdX. These results suggest that dual-task sway performance is directly linked to CBF in younger adults, and furthermore, this link is diminished in older adults. These results underpin the need for cognitive-motor interventions in older adults.

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Manual tracking impairs postural stability in older adults

British Journal of Occupational Therapy ◽

10.1177/0308022617712206 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 80 (9) ◽

pp. 539-548

Author(s):

Anna Rossiter ◽

Matthew J Allsop ◽

Rachael K Raw ◽

Lindsay Howard ◽

Raymond J Holt ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Postural Control ◽

Postural Sway ◽

Tracking Error ◽

Task Demands ◽

Falls Prevention ◽

Cognitive Capacity ◽

Risk Of Falls ◽

The Relationship ◽

Manual Performance

Introduction Older adults show increased postural sway and a greater risk of falls when completing activities with high cognitive demands. While dual-task approaches have clarified an association between cognitive processes and postural control, it is unclear how manual ability, which is also required for the successful completion of cognitively demanding tasks (such as putting a key into a lock), affects this relationship. Method Kinematic technology was used to explore the relationship between postural sway and manual control in healthy younger and older adults. Participants ( n = 82) remained standing to complete a visual-motor tracking task on a tablet computer. Root mean square tracking error measured manual performance, and a balance board measured deviations in centre of pressure as a marker of postural sway. Results Older adults displayed poorer manual accuracy and increased postural sway across all testing conditions. Conclusions Cognitive capacity can interact with multiple task demands, and in turn affect postural sway in older adults. Improving our understanding of factors that influence postural control will assist falls-prevention efforts and inform clinical practice.

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Effects of aging on emotion recognition from dynamic multimodal expressions and vocalizations

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-82135-1 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Diana S. Cortes ◽

Christina Tornberg ◽

Tanja Bänziger ◽

Hillary Anger Elfenbein ◽

Håkan Fischer ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Emotion Recognition ◽

Positive Emotions ◽

Negative Emotions ◽

Group Differences ◽

Significant Group ◽

Positivity Effect ◽

Video Recordings ◽

Age Related ◽

Effects Of Aging

AbstractAge-related differences in emotion recognition have predominantly been investigated using static pictures of facial expressions, and positive emotions beyond happiness have rarely been included. The current study instead used dynamic facial and vocal stimuli, and included a wider than usual range of positive emotions. In Task 1, younger and older adults were tested for their abilities to recognize 12 emotions from brief video recordings presented in visual, auditory, and multimodal blocks. Task 2 assessed recognition of 18 emotions conveyed by non-linguistic vocalizations (e.g., laughter, sobs, and sighs). Results from both tasks showed that younger adults had significantly higher overall recognition rates than older adults. In Task 1, significant group differences (younger > older) were only observed for the auditory block (across all emotions), and for expressions of anger, irritation, and relief (across all presentation blocks). In Task 2, significant group differences were observed for 6 out of 9 positive, and 8 out of 9 negative emotions. Overall, results indicate that recognition of both positive and negative emotions show age-related differences. This suggests that the age-related positivity effect in emotion recognition may become less evident when dynamic emotional stimuli are used and happiness is not the only positive emotion under study.

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Abstract W P156: Arterial Stiffness in Older Adults With and Without Stroke

Stroke ◽

10.1161/str.46.suppl_1.wp156 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 46 (suppl_1) ◽

Author(s):

Ada Tang ◽

Daria Shkredova ◽

Derek W Stouth ◽

Maureen J MacDonald ◽

Jennifer J Heisz

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Cognitive Impairment ◽

Arterial Stiffness ◽

Cardiovascular Events ◽

Pulse Transit Time ◽

Group Differences ◽

Ongoing Work ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Stroke Group ◽

The Relationship

Introduction: Silent cerebrovascular infarcts resulting from vascular disease can manifest as a decline in cognitive function. These silent events are also associated with increased risk of clinically overt stroke. Arterial stiffness is a marker that represents atherosclerotic progression and is a predictor of cardiovascular events and mortality. This study examined the relationship between arterial stiffness and cognitive impairment between adults aged 50-80 years old with and without stroke. Hypothesis: We hypothesized that elevated arterial stiffness would be observed in individuals with stroke, and also be associated with increased cognitive impairment across all participants. Methods: Cognition was assessed using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). Arterial stiffness was quantified using carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV, in m/s), calculated as cfPWV=D/Δt, where D was the distance measured between arterial sites and Δt was the pulse transit time. Higher values represent increased stiffness, and values >10 m/s are associated with increased risk for cardiovascular events. Results: Twenty-five participants were assessed: 11 participants 4.7±2.4 years post-stroke and 14 older adults without stroke. The non-stroke group was older (73.1±3.9 vs. 65.2±9.4 years, P=0.009), while the stroke group had lower MoCA scores (21.2±3.2 vs. 24.4±2.8, P=0.01). There were no between-group differences in cfPWV (stroke 9.4 m/s vs. older adults 9.9 m/s, P=0.49), when controlling for age and MoCA scores. In backward regression analysis, age explained 21% of the variance of cfPWV (P=0.03), while MoCA was not a contributor. Conclusions: In conclusion, these results suggest that age is a significant correlate of arterial stiffness, regardless of the presence of stroke or cognitive impairment. Ongoing work will examine whether stroke history also contributes to arterial stiffness when groups are matched for age.

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Influence of the length of institutionalization on older adults' postural balance and risk of falls: a transversal study

Revista Latino-Americana de Enfermagem ◽

10.1590/0104-1169.3515.2463 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 22 (4) ◽

pp. 645-653 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Wagner Oliveira Batista ◽

Edmundo de Drummond Alves Junior ◽

Flávia Porto ◽

Fabio Dutra Pereira ◽

Rosimere Ferreira Santana ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Postural Control ◽

Postural Balance ◽

Center Of Pressure ◽

Berg Balance Scale ◽

Clinical Tests ◽

Risk Of Falls ◽

Elliptical Area ◽

Professional Model ◽

Transversal Study

OBJECTIVE: to ascertain the influence of the length of institutionalization on older adults' balance and risk of falls.METHOD: to evaluate the risk of falls, the Berg Balance Scale and the Timed Get Up and Go test were used; and for measuring postural balance, static stabilometry was used, with acquisition of the elliptical area of 95% and mean velocities on the x and y axes of center of pressure displacement. Parametric and nonparametric measures of association and comparison (α<0.05) were used.RESULTS: there was no significant correlation between the length of institutionalization and the tests for evaluation of risk of falling, neither was there difference between groups and within subgroups, stratified by length of institutionalization and age. In the stabilometric measurements, there was a negative correlation between the parameters analyzed and the length of institutionalization, and difference between groups and within subgroups.CONCLUSION: this study's results point to the difficulty of undertaking postural control tasks, showing a leveling below the clinical tests' reference scores. In the stabilometric behavior, one should note the reduction of the parameters as the length of institutionalization increases, contradicting the assumptions. This study's results offer support for the development of a multi-professional model for intervention with the postural control and balance of older adults living in homes for the aged.

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The Relationship Between Trunk Muscle Thickness and Static Postural Balance in Older Adults

Journal of Aging and Physical Activity ◽

10.1123/japa.2019-0127 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 28 (2) ◽

pp. 269-275

Author(s):

Ece Acar ◽

Tamer Çankaya ◽

Serkan Öner

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Postural Balance ◽

Postural Sway ◽

Force Plate ◽

Muscle Thickness ◽

Trunk Muscle ◽

Rectus Abdominis ◽

Trunk Muscles ◽

The Relationship ◽

Stability Area

Trunk muscles are required for safety of movement in aging. The authors aimed to investigate the relationship between trunk muscle thickness and the static postural balance in older adults. A total of 31 females and 23 males with a mean age of 73.39 ± 6.09 completed the study. The thickness of the trunk muscles was determined with ultrasound imaging. Postural balance was assessed with force plate. There was a positive weak correlation between right and left upper rectus abdominis muscle thickness and anterior stability area (p < .05, r > .3). The negative and moderate correlation was determined between the left lower rectus abdominis and the perturbated stability sway value (p < .01, r > .5). The increase in trunk muscle thickness in older adults increases the postural stability area and decreases the postural sway especially in the mediolateral direction.

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The association between motor capacity and mobility performance: frailty as a moderator

European Review of Aging and Physical Activity ◽

10.1186/s11556-019-0223-4 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 16 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Carl-Philipp Jansen ◽

Nima Toosizadeh ◽

M. Jane Mohler ◽

Bijan Najafi ◽

Christopher Wendel ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Frailty Index ◽

Community Dwelling ◽

Daily Routine ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Mobility Performance ◽

Frailty Status ◽

Walking Performance ◽

And Performance ◽

The Relationship

Abstract Background In older adults, the linkage between laboratory-assessed ‘motor capacity’ and ‘mobility performance’ during daily routine is controversial. Understanding factors moderating this relationship could help developing more valid assessment as well as intervention approaches. We investigated whether the association between capacity and performance becomes evident with transition into frailty, that is, whether frailty status moderates their association. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of the observational Arizona Frailty Cohort Study (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01880229) in a community-dwelling cohort in Tucson, Arizona. Participants were N = 112 older adults aged 65 years or older who were categorized as non-frail (n = 40), pre-frail (n = 53) or frail (n = 19) based on the Fried frailty index. Motor capacity was quantified as normal (NWS) and fast walking speed (FWS). Mobility performance was quantified as 1) cumulated physical activity (PA) time and 2) everyday walking performance (average steps per walking bout; maximal number of steps in one walking bout), measured by a motion sensor over a 48 h period. Hierarchical linear regression analyses were performed to evaluate moderation effects. Results Unlike in non-frail persons, the relationship between motor capacity and mobility performance was evident in pre-frail and frail persons, confirming our hypothesis. A moderating effect of frailty status was found for 1) the relationship between both NWS and FWS and maximal number of steps in one bout and 2) NWS and the average steps per bout. No moderation was found for the association between NWS and FWS with cumulated PA. Conclusion In pre-frail and frail persons, motor capacity is associated with everyday walking performance, indicating that functional capacity seems to better represent mobility performance in this impaired population. The limited relationship found in non-frail persons suggests that other factors account for their mobility performance. Our findings may help to inform tailored assessment approaches and interventions taking into consideration a person’s frailty status.

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The Relationship of Walking Performance to Postural Sway and Area of Weight Shifts in Patients with Hemiplegia from Cerebrovascular Accident.

Rigakuryoho Kagaku ◽

10.1589/rika.13.7 ◽

1998 ◽

Vol 13 (1) ◽

pp. 7-10 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

HISASHI MOCHIZUKI

Keyword(s):

Cerebrovascular Accident ◽

Postural Sway ◽

Walking Performance ◽

Relationship Of ◽

The Relationship ◽

Weight Shifts

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Posturographic analysis of older adults without dementia and patients with Alzheimer’s disease: A cross-sectional study

Dementia & Neuropsychologia ◽

10.1590/1980-57642018dn13-020008 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 13 (2) ◽

pp. 196-202 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Paula Sant’Anna ◽

Felipe de Oliveira Silva ◽

Ana Carolina de Mello Alves Rodrigues ◽

Jéssica Plácido ◽

José Vinicius Ferreira ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Alzheimer’S Disease ◽

Older Adults ◽

Alzheimer's Disease ◽

Postural Control ◽

Effect Size ◽

Control Group ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Global Cognition ◽

Elliptical Area ◽

Total Velocity

ABSTRACT. Additional clinical tools should be investigated to facilitate and aid the early diagnosis of cognitive decline. Postural control worsens with aging and this may be related to pathological cognitive impairment. Objective: to compare the balance of older adults without dementia in a control group (CG) and with Alzheimer’s disease (AD), to observe the possible association with the independent variables (diagnosis, age, gender, and global cognition) and to verify the best posturographic analyses to determine the difference between the groups. Methods: 86 older adults (AD = 48; CG = 38) were evaluated using the Berg Balance Scale (BBS) and postural control was assessed by stabilometry on the Wii Balance Board ® (WBB). Independent T, Mann-Whitney U-tests, Effect Size (ES) and a linear regression were performed. Results: there was a significant difference for Elliptical Area, Total Velocity, Medio-Lateral displacements with closed eyes and open eyes, antero-posterior, with closed eyes and BBS between groups. These variables showed a large effect size for BBS (-1.02), Elliptical Area (0.83) with closed eyes, Medio-Lateral (0.80, 0.96) and Total Velocity (0.92; 1.10) with eyes open and eyes closed, respectively. Regression indicated global cognition accompanied by age, gender, and diagnosis influenced postural control. Conclusion: patients with AD showed impaired postural control compared to Control Group subjects. Total Velocity with closed eyes was the most sensitive parameter for differentiating groups and should be better investigated as a possible motor biomarker of dementia in posturographic analysis with WBB.

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The Mediating Role of Vision in the Relationship between Proprioception and Postural Control in Older Adults, as Compared to Teenagers and Younger and Middle-Aged Adults

Healthcare ◽

10.3390/healthcare10010103 ◽

2022 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

pp. 103

Author(s):

Ainhoa Nieto-Guisado ◽

Monica Solana-Tramunt ◽

Adrià Marco-Ahulló ◽

Marta Sevilla-Sánchez ◽

Cristina Cabrejas ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Postural Control ◽

Protective Factor ◽

Middle Aged ◽

Mediating Role ◽

Age Related ◽

Eyes Open ◽

Middle Aged Adults ◽

The Relationship

The aim of this study is to analyze the mediating role of vision in the relationship between conscious lower limb proprioception (dominant knee) and bipedal postural control (with eyes open and closed) in older adults, as compared with teenagers, younger adults and middle-aged adults. Methods: The sample consisted of 119 healthy, physically active participants. Postural control was assessed using the bipedal Romberg test with participants’ eyes open and closed on a force platform. Proprioception was measured through the ability to reposition the knee at 45°, measured with the Goniometer Pro application’s goniometer. Results: The results showed an indirect relationship between proprioception and postural control with closed eyes in all age groups; however, vision did not mediate this relationship. Conclusions: Older adults outperformed only teenagers on the balance test. The group of older adults was the only one that did not display differences with regard to certain variables when the test was done with open or closed eyes. It seems that age does not influence performance on proprioception tests. These findings help us to optimize the design of training programs for older adults and suggest that physical exercise is a protective factor against age-related decline.

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