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Faculty of Medical Sciences

Neural mechanisms of anticipatory postural adjustments in healthy young adults, healthy middle-aged adults and healthy elderly

Waardt, L.E. van de (2016) Neural mechanisms of anticipatory postural adjustments in healthy young adults, healthy middle-aged adults and healthy elderly. thesis, Human Movement Sciences.

Full text available on request.

Abstract

Purpose: The preparatory state of the nervous system increases before the start of executing a voluntary movement in young adults. This research examined whether old age unfavorably affects anticipatory postural adjustments measured during a self-initiated postural perturbation. Methods: Young (age 21.8 ± 1.9 years, n = 11), middle-aged (age 46.8 ± 5.5 years, n = 10) and elderly (age 70.4 ± 3.9 years, n = 11) participants received peripheral nerve stimulation of the tibial nerve to evoke a H-reflex and M waves while performing a rapid voluntary arm movement in response to an auditory cue in a standing and sitting position. Results: Middle-aged and old compared with young adults had lower maximal H-reflex and M waves. Young adults showed a reduction in H-reflex size measured in a leg muscle during the arm self-perturbation (p = 0.016), a response was found to be absent in the other two age groups. Conclusion: Age unfavorably affects the preparatory state of the nervous system. Keywords: Aging, anticipatory postural adjustments, H-reflex, peripheral nerve stimulation, soleus muscle.

Item Type: Thesis (UNSPECIFIED)
Supervisor name: Hortobágyi, prof. dr. T.
Faculty: Medical Sciences
Date Deposited: 04 May 2022 08:19
Last Modified: 04 May 2022 08:19
URI: https://umcg.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/3208

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