Are Static and Dynamic Postural Balance Assessments Two Sides of the Same Coin? A Cross-Sectional Study in the Older Adults

Alex Rizzato,Francesca Vidorin,Giuseppe Marcolin,Marta Andretta,Antonio Paoli

doi:10.3389/fphys.2021.681370

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate if the combination of static and dynamic postural balance assessments gives more accurate indications on balance performance among healthy older adults. We also aimed at studying the effect of a dual-task condition on static and dynamic postural balance control. Fifty-seven healthy older adults (age = 73.2 ± 5.0 year, height = 1.66 ± 0.08 m, and body mass = 72.8 ± 13.8 kg) completed the study. Static and dynamic balance were assessed both in single-task and dual-task conditions through a force plate and an oscillating platform. The dominant handgrip strength was also measured with a dynamometer. Pearson’s correlation revealed non-statistically significant correlations between static and dynamic balance performance. The dual-task worsened the balance performance more in the dynamic (+147.8%) than in the static (+25.10%, +43.45%, and +72.93% for ellipse area, sway path, and AP oscillations, respectively) condition (p < 0.001). A weak correlation was found between dynamic balance performance and handgrip strength both in the single (p < 0.05; r = −0.264) and dual (p < 0.05; r = −0.302) task condition. The absence of correlations between static and dynamic balance performance suggests including both static and dynamic balance tests in the assessment of postural balance alterations among older adults. Since cognitive-interference tasks exacerbated the degradation of the postural control performance, dual-task condition should also be considered in the postural balance assessment.

Highlights

Postural balance control has been defined as the ability of a subject to maintain the center of pressure (CoP) within the base of support to prevent falling (Winter et al, 1996)
We considered the following classical stabilometric parameters calculated from the CoP trajectory: ellipse area, sway path, and maximal AP oscillations
The main purpose of this study was to compare the static and dynamic postural balance control in a group of older adults to understand whether these two conditions were interdependent from each other

Summary

Introduction

Postural balance control has been defined as the ability of a subject to maintain the center of pressure (CoP) within the base of support to prevent falling (Winter et al, 1996). The CoP displacement, derived from force platforms, is considered the most reliable output for postural balance control assessment under static conditions. Since the interaction of the postural control systems is complex, the assessment of postural balance control in a concise and holistic approach is demanding as well (Petró et al, 2017). On this point, Ringhof and Stein (2018) extended the traditional perspective considering balance as a general ability and reinforced the idea that dynamic balance tests are necessary and not interchangeable

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