Article

Postural control in the medial-lateral (ML) direction is of
particular interest regarding the assessment of changes in postural control, as
it is highly related to the risk of falling. OBJECTIVE: To determine the postural
strategies used to regain balance following a voluntary lateral step and compare
these strategies between young and older adults. METHODS: Sixteen older adults
(60-90 years) and 14 young adults (20-40 years) were asked to stand quietly for
30s, walk in place and then take a lateral step and stand quietly (30s). Balance
Post was divided into 10s intervals. Center of pressure displacement (CoP) and
velocity (VCoP) in the anterio-posterior (AP) and ML directions were analyzed.
RESULTS: In both groups, CoP and VCoP in AP and ML increased in Post1 compared to
Pre (P<0.001). Dissimilar to young adults, VCoP-Post2, Post3 ML were larger than
Pre (P=0.01) in older adults. Age correlated with all VCoP (Pre and Post) in both
ML (P<0.05) and AP directions (P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Dissimilar to young adults,
older adults use different postural strategies in ML and AP directions and
prioritized postural stability in the AP direction to recover balance after
completing a lateral step. In the ML direction, older adults took up to 30s to
regain balance. Considering that age was related to larger CoP displacement and
velocity, the AP strategy to recover postural balance following a lateral step
could become less efficient as older adults age and therefore increasing the risk
of falls.
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Langue : ANGLAIS