Identification of falling risk factors and development of intervention programs considering individual differences in balance control strategies among the elderly

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K01479
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Rehabilitation science/Welfare engineering
• Research Institution: Kanagawa University
• Principal Investigator: Sasagawa Shun 神奈川大学, 人間科学部, 准教授 (90551565)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: 姿勢制御 / 立位 / 加齢 / 高齢者 / 転倒

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study investigated individual differences in standing balance control among elderly people. Research 1 examined the effects of aging on individual differences in standing balance. As a result, it was revealed that the age-related changing patterns in standing balance were completely different between the anterior-posterior and mediolateral directions. In particular, mediolateral balance deteriorated dramatically after the age of 70, which may result in increased falling risk of the elderly. Research 2 examined the relationship between individual differences in postural sway patterns and multi-joint dynamics. The results showed that individual differences in postural sway patterns were characterized primarily by the amplitudes of low- and high-frequency components, and that each sway pattern was accompanied by specific multi-joint dynamics.

Free Research Field

運動制御

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

バランス能力の加齢変化に関する研究は、今日までに数多く行われてきたが、健常高齢者は「高齢者」という均質な集団として扱われることが多く、その個人差はことごとく看過されてきた。本研究は、健常高齢者と呼ばれる人々の間に存在する個人差に焦点を当て、それを定量化するとともに、個人差を生じさせる神経メカニズムを探索した。