Physical and sporting activities improve vestibular afferent usage and balance in elderly human subjects.
BACKGROUND
Ageing is associated with a reduction in balance, in particular through dysfunction of each level of postural control, which results in an increased risk of falling. Conversely, the practice of physical activities has been shown to modulate postural control in elderly people.


OBJECTIVE
This study examined the potential positive effects of two types of regular physical and sporting activities on vestibular information and their relation to posture.


METHODS
Gaze and postural stabilisation was evaluated by caloric and rotational vestibular tests on 18 healthy subjects over the age of 60 who regularly practised low-energy or bioenergetic physical activities and on 18 controls of a similar age who only walked on a regular basis. These subjects were also submitted to static and dynamic posturographic tests.


RESULTS
The control group displayed less balance control, with a lower vestibular sensitivity and a relatively high dependency on vision compared to the group practising low-energy physical activities, which had better postural control with good vestibular sensitivity and less dependency on vision. The postural control and vestibular sensitivity of subjects practising bioenergetic activities was average, and required higher visual afferent contribution.


CONCLUSIONS
Low-energy exercises, already shown to have the most positive impact on balance control by relying more on proprioception, also appear to develop or maintain a high level of vestibular sensitivity allowing elderly people practising such exercises to reduce the weight of vision.
Gauchard
G C
GC
Unité de Formation et de Recherche en Sciences et Techniques des Activités Physiques et Sportives (UFR STAPS), Université Henri-Poincaré-Nancy 1, Villers-lès-Nancy, France.
Jeandel
C
C
Perrin
P P
PP
D000368:Aged / Q000502:physiology*; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015331:Cohort Studies; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D004856:Postural Balance / Q000502:physiology*; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D013177:Sports / Q000502:physiology*; D014726:Vestibular Nuclei / Q000502:physiology*