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published_or_final_version / Medical Sciences / Master / Master of Medical Sciences

published_or_final_version / Mechanical Engineering / Master / Master of Philosophy

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Cognitive demands for postural control in younger and older adults were examined under conditions of postural threat. Age-related differences emerged in the distribution of attention for postural control in conditions of postural threat. Specifically, porutral compensations were implented to reduce cognitive demands for postural control. In addition, it was determined that the effect of performing a secondary cognitive task on postural control was altered when the potential consequences of instability were increased. Younger adults were found to maintain postural control and improve secondary task performance in conditions of increased threat whereas postural control in older adults improved at the expense of secondary task performance. In older adults, postural control may be prioritized under conditions that increase arousal and the consequences of imbalance. These findings have implications for reducing falls in elderly populations, as they reveal that the ability to adequately perform concurrent tasks is compromised when environmental factors threaten balance in elderly populations. / xi, 113 leaves ; 28 cm.

The effects of postural threat on postural control among younger and older adults were examined. Fifteen younger (YA;8 females and 7 males; mean age 22.00 + 2.17 years) and fifteen older (OA; 10 females and 5 males; mean age 69.98 + 5.35 years) adults performed quiet standing and forward reaching under four conditions of postural threat. Postural threat was achieved by the manipulation of height (low(0.43m) and high (1.4m)) and stepping constraint (unconstrained (0.91m from the anterior edge of an elevating platform) or constrained (0m from the anterior edge of an elevating platform). Younger and older adults demonstrated conservative modifications to postural control that may reduce the likelihood of a fall in tenuous conditions. Interestingly, age-related differences emerged in the mechanism of achieving these accomodations to postural threat. Our findings indicate that older adults may adopt more proximal postural strategies under condtion of postural threat. The shift toward a more proximal postural strategies under conditions of postural threat. The shift toward a more proximal control of balance may reflect the age-related declines in the ability to control the movement of the trunk. Although these adaptations appear benefical to older adults, the possibility exists for detrimental consequences to postural recovery following a balance disturbance. / xi, 173 leaves : ill. ; 29 cm.

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