Lower limb strength, but not sensorial integration, explains the age-associated postural control impairment

Introduction: The aging process leads to functional decline of sensorial organs, muscle mass and strength, as well as the sensorimotor integration, culminating in age-associated postural control impairments. The purpose of this study was to compare the balance, the sensorial integration process and the lower limb strength among three old aged groups.

Methods: Eighty-one community-dwelling healthy old people (58% women), assigned into three age groups [60-69 years (n=30), 70-79 years (n=40), and ≥80 years (n=11)], participated in this study. All participants were submitted to anthropometric and stabilometric evaluation, and carried out a Chair stand test. Stabilometric parameters obtained from time [amplitude displacement of center of pressure (CoP)] and frequency (oscillations of CoP at sub 0.3 Hz and 1-3 Hz bands) domain analysis were used as the indicators of balance performance and sensorial integration, respectively.

Results: Our results revealed that the CoP amplitude displacement was significantly greater in the older aged group, without differences in spectral bands, while the performance in the Chair stand test was smaller in the older aged group.

Conclusion: These data indicate that the age-associated postural control impairment is explained by the lower limb strength declines, but not by the age-associated changes in sensorial integration.

Level of evidence: III.