A study on the online adjustment of the lower extremity after voluntary perturbation in young and older adults

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K19857
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 59010:Rehabilitation science-related
• Research Institution: Kawasaki University of Medical Welfare
• Principal Investigator: Kimura Daisuke 川崎医療福祉大学, リハビリテーション学部, 講師 (10759658)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: オンライン・アジャストメント / 動的バランス / 経頭蓋直流電気刺激

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study aimed to clarify the involvement of specific brain regions in the online adjustments of the lower limb by inhibiting or stimulating their function with Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) and to establish a new therapeutic strategy for rehabilitation interventions in the field of falls. We focused on consecutive postural adjustments (CPAs) and used a computational approach to clarify the differences in the convergence of sway after voluntary perturbations between young and older adults. Additionally, we conducted an experiment in which inhibitory stimulation was applied to the parietal lobe of 30 young participants using tDCS and obtained data; however, we could not achieve the anticipated results for the main part of this study. We will continue our research in this area as it is a central part of this study.

Free Research Field

リハビリテーション

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

転倒分野におけるリハビリテーションでは、転倒に関連する筋力などの身体的特徴の研究や運動習慣の研究に基づき、地域の体操教室などが頻繁に開かれている。そのような研究とは異なり、本研究は、転倒しそうになった瞬間にどのように姿勢を修正するかに焦点を当てた。本研究の結果から考えられることは、動揺後の重心が収束する曲線の傾きと静止時の片脚立位能力が、重要となる可能性が示唆された。