Barin K, Jefferson G D, Sparto P J, Parnianpour M
Department of Otolaryngology, Ohio State University, Columbus 43210, USA.
Biomed Sci Instrum. 1997;33:388-93.
The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of aging on human postural control during cognitive tasks. Forty-eight subjects between the ages of 20 to 60 years underwent a series of balance tests that placed increasingly more demand on sensorimotor and cognitive mechanisms. Balance tests were based on a dynamic posturography device called EquiTest. The standard clinical protocol consisted of assessing the subject's stability in six different sensory conditions as the inputs from the proprioceptive and visual systems were altered in a systematic manner. The subjects were also tested with the head extended backwards. This represents an additional sensory condition in which the input from the vestibular system is modified. In order to investigate the role of cognitive function on the postural control mechanisms, the balance tests were performed either with or without an attention-demanding task. The test sequence was randomized to account for simple order effects. The relative contribution and interaction of sensory modification, cognitive tasking, and age were assessed. The results showed that head extension significantly increased postural sway in sensory conditions in which the proprioceptive input was altered. The effects of cognitive tasking and age group assignment were only approaching significance.
本研究的目的是调查衰老对人类在认知任务期间姿势控制的影响。48名年龄在20至60岁之间的受试者接受了一系列平衡测试，这些测试对感觉运动和认知机制的要求越来越高。平衡测试基于一种名为EquiTest的动态姿势描记装置。标准临床方案包括在本体感觉和视觉系统的输入以系统方式改变时，评估受试者在六种不同感觉条件下的稳定性。受试者还进行了头部向后伸展的测试。这代表了一种额外的感觉条件，其中前庭系统的输入被改变。为了研究认知功能在姿势控制机制中的作用，平衡测试在有或没有需要注意力的任务的情况下进行。测试顺序是随机的，以考虑简单的顺序效应。评估了感觉改变、认知任务和年龄的相对贡献及相互作用。结果表明，在本体感觉输入改变的感觉条件下，头部伸展显著增加了姿势摆动。认知任务和年龄组分配的影响仅接近显著水平。
