Age-related changes in postural control in older women: transitional tasks in step initiation

Autor: Justyna Michalska, Anna Kamieniarz, Grzegorz Sobota, Magdalena Stania, Grzegorz Juras, Kajetan J. Słomka
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2021
Předmět:
Zdroj: BMC Geriatrics, Vol 21, Iss 1, Pp 1-9 (2021)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 1471-2318
DOI: 10.1186/s12877-020-01985-y
Popis: Abstract Background Aging, being a natural process, involves many functional and structural changes within the body. Identifying the age-related postural changes will provide insight into the role of aging on postural control during locomotion. The aim of this study was to identify age-related postural changes during a transitional task under different conditions. Methods Sixty healthy females divided into three age groups: A (50-60 y/o), B (60-70 y/o), and C (70-80 y/o). The transitional task was measured by two force platforms. The procedure consisted of three phases: quiet standing, transfer onto a second platform, and quiet standing on the second platform. Four different conditions were applied: unperturbed transfer, obstacle crossing, step-up, and step-down. Double-support time, transit time, and stability time before and after the step task were analyzed. Results The transit time was longer by 30% for subjects over 70 y/o. The double-support time was longer by 11% among adults 60-70 y/o, while in people over 70 y/o it was longer by almost 50% compared to the 50-60 y/o subjects. The stability time before the transitional task was longer by 17% among adults over 60 y/o compared to middle-age subjects. The stability times before and after the transitional task were longer for adults in the 50-60 y/o category. Conclusion The proposed procedure is adequate for assessing age-related changes in postural control while undergoing a transitional task. An analysis of the double-support time and stability time before and after the step task enabled the detection of early signs of balance changes in middle-age adults. Independent of age, the transitional task parameters changed with the increasing difficulty of the tasks.
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