Visual Role in the Dynamic Postural Balance Due to Aging-Assessment by Using an Augmented Reality Perturbation System

The sensorimotor modulation is degenerated due to aging, and it may cause the elderly falling in a daily activity. The clinical balance assessments, somatosensory test, muscle strength and the joint motion measurement are usually applied to evaluate the falling potential in the aged population. Nevertheless, the ceiling effect is found among the sub-healthy elderly who has a highly functional mobility but a potential risk of falling. Therefore, virtual-reality based scene combined with the continuously perturbed platform was used in this study to investigate the visual effect in cortical modulation in responding to the degenerated sensorimotor biofeedback. A total of 30 healthy participants (fourteen young adults, and sixteen elderly) without any known defects were recruited in this study. The results concluded that vision plays a significant factor in restoring the postural stability in the complicated sensorimotor task. The young adults performed a dynamic and rhythmic postural response strategy with lower cortical excitation to maintain stability during the disturbance. The sensorimotor integration training programs are especially significant to the aging population in order to improve the neuromuscular coordination and to foreclose the potential of fall risk.