Rapid Assessment of Age-Related Differences in Standing Balance

As life expectancy continues to rise, in the future there will be an increasing number of older people prone to falling. Accordingly, there is an urgent need for comprehensive testing of older individuals to collect data and to identify possible risk factors for falling. Here we use a low-cost force platform to rapidly assess deficits in balance under various conditions. We tested 21 healthy older adults and 24 young adults during static stance, unidirectional and rotational displacement of their centre of pressure (COP). We found an age-related increase in postural sway during quiet standing and a reduction of maximal COP displacement in unidirectional and rotational displacement tests. Our data show that even low-cost computerized assessment tools allow for the comprehensive testing of balance performance in older subjects.

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Online Assessment of Cognitive Functioning: A Reliable Alternative to Laboratory Testing?

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igaa057.1917 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 576-577

Author(s):

Maximilian Haas ◽

Sascha Zuber ◽

David Framorando ◽

Elissa El Khawli ◽

Susanne Scheibe ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cognitive Functioning ◽

Cognitive Abilities ◽

Rapid Assessment ◽

Cognitive Disorders ◽

Assessment Tools ◽

Adult Lifespan ◽

Face To Face ◽

Age Related ◽

Online Tools

Abstract As the population ages, risks for cognitive decline threaten independence and quality of life for older adults. Classically, psychological assessment tools to evaluate cognitive functioning are administered in face-to-face laboratory sessions, which is time- and resource-consuming. With the aim of reducing such costs, the present study set out to develop and validate two new online tools, allowing a rapid assessment of general cognitive abilities and of prospective memory. We collected data from 250 participants equally spread across the adult lifespan (aged 18 – 86). Results suggest that performance assessed via these newly developed online tools is comparable to performance in face-to-face laboratory settings. Our findings thereby indicate that these online tools can reliably measure cognitive functioning across the lifespan at a reduced cost, which may help detect individuals at risk of developing age-related cognitive disorders.

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Exposure to impacts across a competitive rugby season impairs balance and neuromuscular function in female rugby athletes

BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine ◽

10.1136/bmjsem-2020-000740 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 6 (1) ◽

pp. e000740

Author(s):

Stephanie E Black ◽

Bruno Follmer ◽

Rinaldo André Mezzarane ◽

Gregory E P Pearcey ◽

Yao Sun ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Spinal Cord ◽

Low Cost ◽

Objective Assessment ◽

Assessment Tools ◽

Neurological Deficits ◽

Normative Values ◽

Balance Performance ◽

Head Impacts ◽

Unstable Surface ◽

Balance Board

ObjectivesWe used objective assessment tools to detect subtle neurological deficits that accompany repetitive and mild head impacts in contact sport across a season.MethodsFemale participants (n=13, 21±1.8 years old; 167.6±6.7 cm; 72.8±6.1 kg) completed assessments pre and post the varsity rugby season. A commercial balance board was used to assess static balance and response to dynamic postural challenge. Spinal cord excitability via the soleus H-reflex was assessed in both legs. Video analysis was used to identify head impact exposures.ResultsA total of 172 potential concussive events were verified across 11 athletes (15.6±11; 95% CI: 6.5 to 19.8). Balance performance was worse at post-season for total centre of pressure which increased by 26% in the double stance on a stable surface (t(12)=-2.33; p=0.03; d=0.6) and by 140% in the tandem stance on a foam surface (t(12)=-3.43; p<0.01; d=0.9). Despite that, dynamic postural performance was improved after the season (p<0.01). Spinal cord excitability in rugby athletes did not change across the season but deviated from normative values at baseline.ConclusionQuantitative measures revealed that exposure to impacts across a competitive rugby season impair balance in two specific stances in female rugby athletes. Tandem-leg stance on an unstable surface and double-leg stance on firm surface are useful assessment conditions when performed over a low-cost balance board, even without clinically diagnosed concussion.

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Frailty, sarcopenia, and falls in cardiovascular disease

ESC CardioMed ◽

10.1093/med/9780198784906.003.0713 ◽

2018 ◽

pp. 2950-2954

Author(s):

Antonio Cherubini ◽

Massimiliano Fedecostante

Keyword(s):

Cardiovascular Disease ◽

Older Adults ◽

Clinical Manifestations ◽

Drug Effects ◽

Adverse Outcomes ◽

Assessment Tools ◽

Management Approach ◽

Older Individuals ◽

Related Factors ◽

Age Related

Frailty reflects a state of high vulnerability to stressors, even at low intensity, putting frail older adults at high risk of adverse outcomes. Sarcopenia (i.e. skeletal muscle decline) explains many of the clinical manifestations of the frailty syndrome and is the key component of physical frailty. Many frailty assessment tools are built around the concept of sarcopenia. Frailty is not only a consequence of the ageing process, but cardiovascular disease can contribute to its genesis, also sharing common pathogenetic pathways. Falls are very common in older individuals and are the best example of the interplay between age-related conditions and diseases. Falls, as well as frailty and sarcopenia, are most often multifactorial in nature. Cardiovascular disorders are among the risk factors that have been identified to cause falls in older adults; in particular, unexplained and recurrent falls. Orthostatic hypotension, carotid sinus syndrome, and adverse drug effects are the most important cardiovascular disease-related factors that have been found to be associated with falls in older people. Implementing the comprehensive geriatric assessment, a multidomain and multidisciplinary evaluation and management approach, represents the best strategy to properly manage older patients with cardiovascular disease.

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Translational Geroscience: Human Models of Healthy Aging and Longevity

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igab046.1162 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 300-300

Author(s):

Sofiya Milman

Keyword(s):

Healthy Aging ◽

Model Organisms ◽

Antagonistic Pleiotropy ◽

Older Individuals ◽

Ideal Model ◽

Health Span ◽

Healthy Older Adults ◽

Age Related ◽

Extended Lifespan ◽

Disease Free

Abstract While insulin like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) is a well-established modulator of aging and longevity in model organisms, its role in humans is less well understood. Previous ambiguities in part have been attributed to cohort characteristics and unawareness of interactions between age and IGF-1. Centenarians have emerged as an ideal model of healthy aging because they delay the onset of age-related diseases and often remain disease free for the duration of their lifespan. In cohorts of centenarians and generally healthy older adults, we demonstrated that reduced IGF-1 is associated with extended lifespan and health-span. Additionally, we confirmed that IGF-1 interacts with age to modify risk in a manner consistent with antagonistic pleiotropy: younger individuals with high IGF-1 are protected from dementia, vascular disease, diabetes, cancer, and osteoporosis, while older individuals do not exhibit IGF-1-associated protection from disease. These findings offer evidence for IGF-1 modulating health-span and lifespan in humans.

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Identification and Stability Analysis of the Postural Control System During Small Magnitude Perturbations

ASME 2008 Summer Bioengineering Conference, Parts A and B ◽

10.1115/sbc2008-193261 ◽

2008 ◽

Author(s):

Bradley S. Davidson ◽

Michael L. Madigan ◽

Steve C. Southward ◽

Maury A. Nussbaum

Keyword(s):

Control System ◽

Stability Analysis ◽

Postural Control ◽

Postural Sway ◽

Sensory Information ◽

Quiet Standing ◽

Muscle Forces ◽

Postural Control System ◽

Small Magnitude ◽

Age Related

Age-related increases in postural sway during quiet standing are well-documented [1]. These increases could result from age-related degradation of sensory information from the somatosensory [2] and vestibular [3] systems, or may result from inaccurate or imprecise muscle forces resulting from excitation-contraction uncoupling [4].

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Fasting concentrations and postprandial response of 1,2-dicarbonyl compounds 3-deoxyglucosone, glyoxal and methylglyoxal are not increased in healthy older adults

The Journals of Gerontology Series A ◽

10.1093/gerona/glab331 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Catrin Herpich ◽

Bastian Kochlik ◽

Daniela Weber ◽

Christiane Ott ◽

Tilman Grune ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Age Differences ◽

Healthy Aging ◽

Serum Glucose ◽

Older Individuals ◽

Dicarbonyl Compounds ◽

Healthy Older Adults ◽

Younger Women ◽

Age Related ◽

Postprandial Response ◽

Markers Of Oxidative Stress

Abstract Dicarbonyl stress describes the increased formation of 1,2-dicarbonyl compounds and is associated with age-related pathologies. The role of dicarbonyl stress in healthy aging is poorly understood. In a preliminary study, we analyzed 1,2-dicarbonyl compounds, namely 3-deoxyglucosone (3-DG), glyoxal (GO) and methylglyoxal (MGO) in plasma of older (25 months, n=11) and younger (5 months, n=14) male C57BL/6J (B6) mice via UPLC-MS/MS. Postprandial 3-DG was higher in younger compared to older mice, whereas no differences were found for GO and MGO. Subsequently, in the main study, we analyzed fasting serum of older (OW, 72.4±6.14 years, n=19) and younger women (YW, 27.0±4.42 years, n=19) as well as older (OM, 74.3±5.20 years, n=15) and younger (YM, 27.0±3.34, n=15) men. Serum glucose, insulin, 1,2-dicarbonyl concentrations and markers of oxidative stress were quantified. In a subgroup of this cohort, an oral dextrose challenge was performed and postprandial response of 1,2-dicarbonyl compounds, glucose and insulin were measured. In women, there were no age differences regarding fasting 1,2-dicarbonyl concentrations nor the response after the oral dextrose challenge. In men, fasting MGO was significantly higher in OM compared to YM (Median: 231 vs.158 nM, p=0.006), whereas no age differences in fasting 3-DG and GO concentrations were found. Glucose (310±71.8 versus 70.8±11.9 min·mmol/L) and insulin (7149±1249 versus 2827±493 min·µIU/mL) response were higher in OM compared to YM, which did not translate into a higher 1,2-dicarbonyl response in older individuals. Overall, aging does not necessarily result in dicarbonyl stress, indicating that strategies to cope with 1,2-dicarbonyl formation can remain intact.

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Impact of Canal-Otolith Integration on Postural Control

Frontiers in Integrative Neuroscience ◽

10.3389/fnint.2021.773008 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 15 ◽

Author(s):

Andrew R. Wagner ◽

Megan J. Kobel ◽

Daniel M. Merfeld

Keyword(s):

Postural Control ◽

Postural Sway ◽

Center Of Pressure ◽

Temporal Integration ◽

Quiet Stance ◽

Balance Performance ◽

Healthy Older Adults ◽

Eyes Closed ◽

Multivariable Regression ◽

Roll Tilt

Roll tilt vestibular perceptual thresholds, an assay of vestibular noise, have recently been shown to be associated with suboptimal balance performance in healthy older adults. However, despite the strength of this correlation, the use of a categorical (i.e., pass/fail) balance assessment limits insight into the impacts of vestibular noise on postural sway. As a result, an explanation for this correlation has yet to be determined. We hypothesized that the correlation between roll tilt vestibular thresholds and postural control reflects a shared influence of sensory noise. To address this hypothesis, we measured roll tilt perceptual thresholds at multiple frequencies (0.2 Hz, 0.5 Hz, 1 Hz) and compared each threshold to quantitative measures of quiet stance postural control in 33 healthy young adults (mean = 24.9 years, SD = 3.67). Our data showed a significant linear association between 0.5 Hz roll tilt thresholds and the root mean square distance (RMSD) of the center of pressure in the mediolateral (ML; β = 5.31, p = 0.002, 95% CI = 2.1–8.5) but not anteroposterior (AP; β = 5.13, p = 0.016, 95% CI = 1.03–9.23) direction (Bonferroni corrected α of 0.006). In contrast, vestibular thresholds measured at 0.2 Hz and 1 Hz did not show a significant correlation with ML or AP RMSD. In a multivariable regression model, controlling for both 0.2 Hz and 1 Hz thresholds, the significant effect of 0.5 Hz roll tilt thresholds persisted (β = 5.44, p = 0.029, CI = 0.60–10.28), suggesting that the effect cannot be explained by elements shared by vestibular thresholds measured at the three frequencies. These data suggest that vestibular noise is significantly associated with the temporospatial control of quiet stance in the mediolateral plane when visual and proprioceptive cues are degraded (i.e., eyes closed, standing on foam). Furthermore, the selective association of quiet-stance sway with 0.5 Hz roll tilt thresholds, but not thresholds measured at lower (0.2 Hz) or higher (1.0 Hz) frequencies, may reflect the influence of noise that results from the temporal integration of noisy canal and otolith cues.

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Static Standing Trunk Sway Assessment in Amputees – Effects of Sub-Threshold Stimulation

Applied Bionics and Biomechanics ◽

10.1155/2007/903439 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 4 (1) ◽

pp. 37-40 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

L. Ming-Yih ◽

S. Kok-Soon ◽

L. Chih-Feng

Keyword(s):

Electrical Stimulation ◽

Postural Sway ◽

Balance Control ◽

Somatosensory System ◽

Sensory Stimulation ◽

Quiet Standing ◽

Static Balance ◽

Balance Performance ◽

Standing Test ◽

Postural Steadiness

Sub-threshold electrical stimulation can enhance the sensitivity of the human somatosensory system to improve the balance control capability of elderly was shown in recent rehabilitation articles. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the postural sway of trans-tibial amputees when performing single leg quiet standing on firm surface. Four unilateral trans-tibial amputees who consecutively wore prosthetics over 2 years were recruited in this study. Subjects performed single leg quiet standing trails with sub-threshold electrical stimulation applied at the quadriceps muscle during the trails. Spatial co-ordinates for the determination kinematic data (sway distance) of the center of mass (COM) on second sacral (S2) were collected using an ultrasound-based Zebris CMS-HS system. The single leg quiet standing test is measure considered to assess postural steadiness in a static position by a spatial measurement. The common notion is that a better postural steadiness, i.e. less postural sway, allows for longer time single leg quiet standing. However, there is lack of evidence how postural steadiness during single leg quiet standing changes over time. In this article, we hypothesized that the static balance of single leg quiet standing could be improved for providing proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation using sub-sensory stimulation in amputees. To test this hypothesis, a computerized sub-threshold low-level electrical stimulation device was developed and proposed for clinical study. Experimental results show that reduction in all of the postural sway indices (constant time sway length, max sway distance and average sway distance) and increase in single leg support time index during single leg quiet standing by applying sub-sensory stimulation. The single leg quiet standing test findings suggest that sub-threshold electrical stimulation rehabilitation strategies may be effective in improving static balance performance for amputees.

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Post-Drive Standing Balance of Vehicle Passengers Using Wearable Sensors: The Effect of On-Road Driving and Task Performance

Sensors ◽

10.3390/s21154997 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (15) ◽

pp. 4997

Author(s):

Victor C. Le ◽

Monica L. H. Jones ◽

Kathleen H. Sienko

Keyword(s):

Task Performance ◽

Postural Sway ◽

Wearable Sensors ◽

Standing Balance ◽

Balance Performance ◽

Real Time Traffic ◽

Balance Exercises ◽

Before And After ◽

The Relationship ◽

And Task

Postural sway has been demonstrated to increase following exposure to different types of motion. However, limited prior studies have investigated the relationship between exposure to normative on-road driving conditions and standing balance following the exposure. The purpose of this on-road study was to quantify the effect of vehicle motion and task performance on passengers’ post-drive standing balance performance. In this study, trunk-based kinematic data were captured while participants performed a series of balance exercises before and after an on-road driving session in real-time traffic. Postural sway for all balance exercises increased following the driving session. Performing a series of ecologically relevant visual-based tasks led to increases in most post-drive balance metrics such as sway position and velocity. However, the post-drive changes following the driving session with a task were not significantly different compared to changes observed following the driving session without a task. The post-drive standing balance performance changes observed in this study may increase vulnerable users’ risk of falling. Wearable sensors offer an opportunity to monitor postural sway following in-vehicle exposures.

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Cerebral functional networks during sleep in young and older individuals

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-84417-0 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Véronique Daneault ◽

Pierre Orban ◽

Nicolas Martin ◽

Christian Dansereau ◽

Jonathan Godbout ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Functional Connectivity ◽

Brain Plasticity ◽

Network Connectivity ◽

Sleep Stages ◽

Functional Networks ◽

Older Individuals ◽

Functional Magnetic Resonance ◽

Resonance Imaging ◽

Age Related ◽

Light Sleep

AbstractEven though sleep modification is a hallmark of the aging process, age-related changes in functional connectivity using functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) during sleep, remain unknown. Here, we combined electroencephalography and fMRI to examine functional connectivity differences between wakefulness and light sleep stages (N1 and N2 stages) in 16 young (23.1 ± 3.3y; 7 women), and 14 older individuals (59.6 ± 5.7y; 8 women). Results revealed extended, distributed (inter-between) and local (intra-within) decreases in network connectivity during sleep both in young and older individuals. However, compared to the young participants, older individuals showed lower decreases in connectivity or even increases in connectivity between thalamus/basal ganglia and several cerebral regions as well as between frontal regions of various networks. These findings reflect a reduced ability of the older brain to disconnect during sleep that may impede optimal disengagement for loss of responsiveness, enhanced lighter and fragmented sleep, and contribute to age effects on sleep-dependent brain plasticity.

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