title: Effects of long-term stimulation of textured insoles on postural control in health elderly.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of this study was to confirm the effects of long term (chronic) stimulating surface (textured insole) on body balance of elderly people.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-four healthy elderly individuals were randomly distributed in two groups: control and experimental (67.75±6.04 years, 74.55±12.14 kg, 163.7±8.55 cm, 27.75±3.04 kg/m2). Over one month, control group (CG) used smooth insoles and the experimental group (ExG) used textured insoles every day. Velocity net (Vnet), anteroposterior (VA/P), mediolateral (VM/L) and sway path of CoP were assessed in different eye conditions before and after the experimental procedure.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A mixed between-within subject ANOVA was conducted to assess the impact of soft and textured insoles and two visual conditions (vision vs. no vision) across two time periods (α≤0.05). The results showed any statistical difference between groups in each parameter assessed in this study. CoP, Vnet and VM/L in the experimental group showed a statistically significant effect of textured insoles only without vision (CoP: P=0.002; η2=0.35), Vnet P=0.02; η2=0.24, VM/L P=0.04; η2=0.177) whereas VA/P showed no statistically significant effect in the same group and condition. There was no significant effect in Vnet, VA/P, VM/L and COP in control group that used smooth insole for both eye conditions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results confirm that postural stability improved in healthy elderly individuals, increasing somatosensory information's from feet plantar mechanoreceptors. Long term stimulation with textured insoles decreased CoP, Vnet and VM/L with eyes closed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine Systems, University of Rome &quot;Tor Vergata&quot;, Rome, Italy.|School of Human Movement Science, University of Rome &quot;Tor Vergata&quot;, Rome, Italy.|San Raffaele Online University, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Annino
authors.affiliation: School of Human Movement Science, University of Rome &quot;Tor Vergata&quot;, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Palazzo
authors.affiliation: University of Rome ''Tor Vergata'', Rome, Italy - m7medwardat2010@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Mohammad S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Alwardat
authors.affiliation: I.R.C.C.S. San Raffaele Pisana, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Manzi
authors.affiliation: School of Human Movement Science, University of Rome &quot;Tor Vergata&quot;, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Pietro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lebone
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine Systems, University of Rome &quot;Tor Vergata&quot;, Rome, Italy.|School of Human Movement Science, University of Rome &quot;Tor Vergata&quot;, Rome, Italy.|San Raffaele Online University, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Virginia
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Tancredi
authors.affiliation: School of Human Movement Science, University of Rome &quot;Tor Vergata&quot;, Rome, Italy.|University of Rome ''Tor Vergata'', Rome, Italy.|Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome &quot;Tor Vergata&quot;, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sinibaldi Salimei
authors.affiliation: School of Human Movement Science, University of Rome &quot;Tor Vergata&quot;, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Alfio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Caronti
authors.affiliation: School of Human Movement Science, University of Rome &quot;Tor Vergata&quot;, Rome, Italy.|San Raffaele Online University, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Panzarino
authors.affiliation: School of Human Movement Science, University of Rome &quot;Tor Vergata&quot;, Rome, Italy.|San Raffaele Online University, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Elvira
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Padua
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D005528:Foot / Q000502:physiology; D061826:Foot Orthoses / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D004856:Postural Balance; D011187:Posture; D011897:Random Allocation