[Physiological changes in balance control of adults aged 20 to 60 years assessed with Equitest].
OBJECTIVE
The sense of balance depends on many factors including age. A considerable amount of time is spent in medical clinics attempting to identify potential balance problems and retrain individuals with posture and balance limitations. Since the past decades the development of computerized dynamic posturography (CDP) provided the clinicians a tool to objectively assess balance disorders. The aim of this study was to evaluate physiological changes in balance control of adults aged from 20 to 60 years.


METHODS
108 healthy adults volunteers were involved in the study. The Equitest CDP was used to record equilibrium pattern in four age groups: "a" 20-30 years old, "b" 3040 years old, "c" 40-50 years old and "d" 50-60 years old.


RESULTS
Equilibrium patterns worsen progressively with age in the studied age groups, especially vestibular pattern, whereas visual dependence increases.


CONCLUSIONS
Ours results show that: 1- presbyvestibulia takes place progressively with age. 2- between 20 and 60 years old, normative data should be established by decade age steps. 3- From a preventive point of view raises the question if this evolution is uneluctable or could be counteracted by physical training or adapted treatment.
Ionescu
E
E
Audiologie et Explorations Orofaciales, Centre Hospitalier Lyon-Sud, Pav 3A 69495 Pierre-Bénite cedex, France.
Dubreuil
C
C
Ferber-Viart C
C
C
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D019937:Diagnostic Techniques and Procedures; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D004856:Postural Balance / Q000502:physiology*; D012016:Reference Values