Integration of postural and suprapostural control in situations of balance perturbation in the elderly

• Grant number: 11/23380-8
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: March 01, 2012
• End date: February 28, 2013
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - Psychology - Experimental Psychology
• Principal Investigator: Luis Augusto Teixeira
• Grantee: Nametala Maia Azzi
• Host Institution: Escola de Educação Física e Esporte (EEFE). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Postural control in daily living activities is usually accompanied by a concomitant accomplishment of a supra-postural task. Young individuals have a better ability to execute a supra-postural task while keeping the postural balance in comparison with the elderly. The explanations given for differences in performance between ages are based on lower attentional processing capacity available, lower efficiency of sensory integration in a postural, and a high degree of constraint imposed by the supra-postural task in the elderly. However, it is not clear how the integration between a supra-postural task and posture control takes place in the elderly according to the participation of attentional mechanisms, sensory integration, and the constraint imposed by the supra-postural task on postural control. The objective of this project is to investigate anticipatory and reactive postural components involved in the integration of postural and supra-postural tasks in young and elderly individuals derived from the constraint imposed by the supra-postural task to posture control. This study will compare elderly and young individuals in the task of maintaining a stable upright bipedal stance simultaneously with manually holding a metal structure. This structure will allow the release of weight by the experimenter unpredictably. On the metal structure, there will be a device for laser emission to be continuously pointed to a circular target. Participants will be instructed to maintain good performance in both postural and supra-postural tasks during weight release.(AU)