Age-related differences in alpha and beta band activity in sensory association brain areas during challenging sensory tasks.
Behav Brain Res
; 408: 113279, 2021 06 25.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-33812990
ABSTRACT
Sensory challenges to postural balance are daily threats for elderly individuals. This study examined electroencephalography (EEG) in alpha and beta bands in sensory association areas during the Sensory Organization Test, involving withdrawal of visual or presenting misleading somatosensory inputs, in twelve young and twelve elderly participants. The results showed stepwise deterioration in behavioral performance in four conditions, with group effects that were amplified with combined sensory challenges. With eye closure, alpha and beta activities increased in all sensory association areas. Fast beta activity increased in the bilateral parietal-temporal-occipital areas. Misleading somatosensory information effects on EEG activity were of smaller amplitude than eye closure effects and in a different direction. Decreased alpha activity in left parietal-temporal-occipital areas and decreased beta and fast beta activities in bilateral parietal-temporal-occipital areas were significant. Elderly participants had increased fast beta activity in the left temporal-occipital and bilateral occipital areas, indicative of sustained efforts that they made in all sensory conditions. Similar to the young participants, elderly participants with eyes closed showed increased alpha activity, although to a smaller degree, in bilateral temporal-occipital and left occipital areas. This might indicate a lack of efficacy in redistributing relative sensory weights when elderly participants dealt with eye closure. In summary, EEG power changes did not match the stepwise deterioration in behavioral data, but reflected different sensory strategies adopted by young and elderly participants to cope with eye closure or misleading somatosensory information based on the efficacy of these different strategies.
Key words
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Somatosensory Cortex
/
Beta Rhythm
/
Aging
/
Alpha Rhythm
Type of study:
Risk_factors_studies
Limits:
Adult
/
Aged
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
/
Middle aged
Language:
En
Journal:
Behav Brain Res
Year:
2021
Document type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Taiwan