Article

The somatosensory system plays an important role in balance control and
age-related declines in somatosensory function have been implicated in falls
incidence. Different types of insole devices have been developed to enhance
somatosensory information
and improve postural stability. However, they are often
too complex and expensive to integrate into daily life and textured insole
surfaces may provide an inexpensive and accessible means to enhance somatosensory
input. This study investigated the effects of textured insole surfaces on
postural sway in ten younger and seven older participants performing standing
balance tests on a force plate under three insole surface conditions: (1)
barefoot; (2) with hard; and (3), soft textured insole surfaces. With each insole
surface, participants were tested under two vision conditions (eyes open, closed)
on two standing surfaces (firm, foam). Four 30s trials were collected for
different combinations of insole surface, standing surface and vision. Centre of
pressure measurements included the range and standard deviation of
anterior-posterior and medial-lateral displacement, path length and the 90%
confidence elliptical area. Results revealed a significant Group*Surface*Insole
interaction for five of the dependent variables. Compared to younger individuals,
postural sway was greater in older people on both standing surfaces in the
barefoot condition. However, both textured insole surfaces reduced postural sway
for the older group especially in the eyes closed condition on a foam surface.
These findings suggest that textured insole surfaces can reduce postural sway in
older people, particularly during more challenging balance tasks. Textured insole
surfaces may afford a low-cost means of decreasing postural sway, providing an
important intervention in falls prevention.
CI - Copyright (c) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Langue : ANGLAIS