Balance
Conditions
Brief summary
The aging process involves physiological changes in organs and tissues that can evolve towards fragility and increased risk of falls. Falls, which can be one of the adverse results of frailty in older people, are the second leading cause of death worldwide. When an elderly person falls, it entails not only hospitalization, immobilization, and the consequent deterioration, but also usually causes fear of falling again, which can also lead to the onset of disability. The inherent aging process can be linked to the deterioration of postural control and balance, posing serious health problems. In falls in the elderly, both sensorimotor and cognitive functions are affected, the functioning of which is degraded to a greater extent by anxiety and stress. Nowadays, more extensive, and more precise research is needed in the study of the interactions between cognition, stress, and postural control in the context of postural instability and falls in older adults. The purpose of the DEPIE Project is to detect whether neuromuscular changes that occur when exposed to stressful situations can affect the postural and motor control of the elderly. To this end, all participants will undergo the same intervention. Firstly, they will all take a baseline cognitive and physical assessment. Afterwards, they will take the experimental session, which will consist of a baseline test and an experimental test. During the baseline test, participants will visualize International Affective Picture System (IAPS) images of low arousal and during the experimental test of high arousal. Finally, physical assessment tests will be repeated. Young and older adults will be tested. Additionally, sub-analyses will be conducted within the elderly group differentiating the degree of cognitive impairment and functional dependence. The primary outcome measures will be surface electromyography, pressures on the floor, activity on manipulation, and balance. The secondary outcome measures will be heart rate variability, respiratory rate and the visual analogue scale on unease after visualisation of the images.
Interventions
OTHERStress
All participants will perform a baseline test in which they will first be asked to visualize low-arousal IAPS images for three minutes while seated in a chair, and then get up, walk to a table with two bottles, transfer liquid from one bottle to the other, return to the starting chair and sit down again. Subsequently, they will perform an experimental test, where they will repeat the same movements as in the baseline test after visualizing high-arousal IAPS images for three minutes. In addition, IAPS images will continue to be projected in the background while participants perform the described motor tasks.
Sponsors
European Union
Castilla-La Mancha Health Service
University of Alcala
Study design
Allocation
NA
Intervention model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose
SCREENING
Masking
NONE
Masking description
Although all participants will perform the same intervention, they will not know which intervention the other participants are performing. In addition, the entire experimental session (both baseline and experimental test) is computerized, so the researcher in charge of the experiment will only ensure that all systems are working properly. On the other hand, the outcome evaluator will analyze the baseline and experimental moments without knowing whether the data belong to one or the other moment.
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 99 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* Young adults (ages 18-39). * Older adults (≥65). * Voluntarily participate in the study. * Not meeting the
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Balance | Before the baseline test and after the experimental test | It will be assessed by Timed Up and Go Test (TUG) and Functional Reach Test (FRT) |
| EMG: Synchronisation of activation between muscle groups | It will be assessed while performing the movements of getting up from the chair, walking, manipulating the bottles, returning to the chair and sitting down, both during the baseline test and during the experimental test | It will assess in milliseconds the ability of the muscles to work in a synchronised manner. |
| EMG: Activation ratio between upper and lower body muscles | It will be assessed while performing the movements of getting up from the chair, walking, manipulating the bottles, returning to the chair and sitting down, both during the baseline test and during the experimental test | RMS ratio between different muscles |
| EMG: Median Frequency (MDF) | It will be assessed while performing the movements of getting up from the chair, walking, manipulating the bottles, returning to the chair and sitting down, both during the baseline test and during the experimental test | In the frequency domain, this median frequency of the EMG signal will be calculated. |
| Pressures on the floor | It will be assessed while performing the movements of getting up from the chair, walking, manipulating the bottles, returning to the chair and sitting down, both during the baseline test and during the experimental test | They will be measured by a sensorised blanket that will give information on weight distribution and movement behaviour |
| Triaxial accelerometry: acceleration and deceleration in object handling | It will be assessed while performing the bottle manipulation movement (during which liquid has to be transferred from one bottle to another), both during the baseline test and during the experimental test | The maximum acceleration value during the handling activity of two bottles shall be measured with sensors installed on the bottles. |
| RMS value of the EMG signal | It will be assessed while performing the movements of getting up from the chair, walking, manipulating the bottles, returning to the chair and sitting down, both during the baseline test and during the experimental test | The root mean square (RMS) value of the EMG signal reflects the level of muscle activation during activity. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Respiratory Rate | It will be assessed during the visualization of IAPS images both during the baseline test and during the experimental test | It will be explored for measures of autonomic nervous system activation |
| Analog Visual Scale | Immediately after the baseline test and the experimental test respectively | It will assess the feeling of unease after performing the baseline test and the experimental test respectively. The scale consists of a line from 0 (= totally relaxed) to 10 (=the most uneasy or restless feeling you have ever felt), which participants have to mark according to their feelings at that moment. Higher scores will correspond to a greater sense of unease. |
| Heart Rate Variability | It will be assessed during the visualization of IAPS images both during the baseline test and during the experimental test | It will be explored for measures of autonomic nervous system activation |
Countries
Spain
Contacts
Primary ContactSusana N Núñez, PhD. Associate Professor
Outcome results
None listed