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The influence of fear of falling on the control of upright stance across the lifespan.
Hill, M; Brayne, L; Hosseini, E; Duncan, M; Muehlbauer, T; Lord, S R; Ellmers, T J.
Afiliación
  • Hill M; Centre for Physical Activity, Sport and Exercise Sciences, Coventry University, Coventry, United Kingdom. Electronic address: matt.hill@coventry.ac.uk.
  • Brayne L; Centre for Physical Activity, Sport and Exercise Sciences, Coventry University, Coventry, United Kingdom.
  • Hosseini E; Centre for Physical Activity, Sport and Exercise Sciences, Coventry University, Coventry, United Kingdom.
  • Duncan M; Centre for Physical Activity, Sport and Exercise Sciences, Coventry University, Coventry, United Kingdom.
  • Muehlbauer T; Division of Movement and Training Sciences/Biomechanics of Sport, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany.
  • Lord SR; Falls, Balance and Injury Research Centre, Neuroscience Research Australia, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
  • Ellmers TJ; Department of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom.
Gait Posture ; 109: 226-232, 2024 03.
Article en En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38364509
ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND:

Standing at height, and subsequent changes in emotional state (e.g., fear of falling), lead to robust alterations in balance in adults. However, little is known about how height-induced postural threat affects balance performance in children. Children may lack the cognitive capability necessary to inhibit the processing of threat and fear-related stimuli, and as a result, may show more marked (and perhaps detrimental) changes in postural control compared to adults. This work explored the emotional and balance responses to standing at height in children, and compared responses to young and older adults.

METHODS:

Children (age 9.7 ± 0.8 years, n = 38), young adults (age 21.8 ± 4.0 years, n = 45) and older adults (age 73.3 ± 5.0 years, n = 15) stood in bipedal stance in two conditions at ground level and 80 cm above ground. Centre of pressure (COP) amplitude (RMS), frequency (MPF) and complexity (sample entropy) were calculated to infer postural performance and strategy. Emotional responses were quantified by assessing balance confidence, fear of falling and perceived instability.

RESULTS:

Young and older adults demonstrated a postural adaptation characterised by increased frequency and decreased amplitude of the COP, in conjunction with increased COP complexity (sample entropy). In contrast, children demonstrated opposite patterns of changes they exhibited an increase in COP amplitude and decrease in both frequency and complexity when standing at height.

SIGNIFICANCE:

Children and adults adopted different postural control strategies when standing at height. Whilst young and older adults exhibited a potentially protective "stiffening" response to a height-induced threat, children demonstrated a potentially maladaptive and ineffective postural adaptation strategy. These observations expand upon existing postural threat related research in adults, providing important new insight into understanding how children respond to standing in a hazardous situation.
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Texto completo: 1 Base de datos: MEDLINE Asunto principal: Miedo / Longevidad Límite: Adolescent / Adult / Aged / Child / Humans Idioma: En Revista: Gait Posture Asunto de la revista: ORTOPEDIA Año: 2024 Tipo del documento: Article

Texto completo: 1 Base de datos: MEDLINE Asunto principal: Miedo / Longevidad Límite: Adolescent / Adult / Aged / Child / Humans Idioma: En Revista: Gait Posture Asunto de la revista: ORTOPEDIA Año: 2024 Tipo del documento: Article