The age-related regulation of sensorimotor integration in human postural control

Hogenhout, M. (Margot) (2013) The age-related regulation of sensorimotor integration in human postural control. thesis, Human Movement Sciences.

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Abstract

Over one third of the individuals over age 65 fall each year. An age-related decline in the ability to integrate sensory and motor information may underlay the evolving impairment of postural control. The purpose of this study was to examine the age-related regulation of sensorimotor integration in human postural control and the age-related intracortical excitability. Eleven young (22.6 ± 1.0 yr) and thirteen older adults (67.9 ± 4.7 yr) participated in this study. Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) was used to determine the age-related changes in corticospinal- and cortical excitability during four different standing conditions (standing on a rigid surface with eyes open (RP-EO) and eyes closed (RP-EC), standing on foam with eyes open (FS-EO) and eyes closed (FS-EC)). A significant increase in corticospinal- (p < 0.001) and decrease in cortical excitability (p = 0.042) was found during the different standing conditions. Besides, there was less cortical inhibition in the older compared to the young participants (p < 0.001). This may be caused by an increase in cortical activation in the older participants. The possibility exists that such age-related changes mediate in part the impaired control of posture in old adults. In conclusion, the present study suggests that there is a trend of decreased intracortical inhibition in young and older adults when sensory (visual- and proprioceptive) information is manipulated during standing.

Item Type:	Thesis (Thesis)
Supervisor name:	Hortobagyi, Prof. dr. T. and Papegaaij, S. (PhD candidate) and Center for Human Movement Sciences and University Medical Center Groningen and University of Groningen
Faculty:	Medical Sciences
Date Deposited:	25 Jun 2020 10:43
Last Modified:	25 Jun 2020 10:43
URI:	https://umcg.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/458

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