2010 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

Development of safety against overturning aimed at improving posture control in the elderly

Research Project

Project/Area Number	21700708
Research Category	Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
Allocation Type	Single-year Grants
Research Field	Applied health science
Research Institution	Osaka University of Economics
Principal Investigator	NOMURA Kunihiko Osaka University of Economics, 経営情報学部, 准教授 (80440957)
Project Period (FY)	2009 – 2010
Keywords	立位制御 / 静止立位 / 転倒防止 / スティッフネス制御モデル / 間欠制御モデル
Research Abstract	In this study, I made a prototype of interferential current (IFC) stimulator to explore the availability of IFC stimulation method in a development of behavior support equipment aimed at preventing falls in the elderly. I examined whether a very small current stimulus with IFC improve the equilibrium function. Body sway did not reduce with IFC stimulus on the surface of the gastrocnemius muscle. This result suggests that IFC stimulation with a weak current influence the muscle spindle due to a current effect of IFC stimulation occurs in deep, not directly beneath of skin. In contrast, IFC stimulation applied to the knees joint in both legs, the reduction of body sway was confirmed.

(2 results)