title: Individual differences in brainstem and basal ganglia structure predict postural control and balance loss in young and older adults.
abstract: It remains unclear which specific brain regions are the most critical for human postural control and balance, and whether they mediate the effect of age. Here, associations between postural performance and corticosubcortical brain regions were examined in young and older adults using multiple structural imaging and linear mixed models. Results showed that of the regions involved in posture, the brainstem was the strongest predictor of postural control and balance: lower brainstem volume predicted larger center of pressure deviation and higher odds of balance loss. Analyses of white and gray matter in the brainstem showed that the pedunculopontine nucleus area appeared to be critical for postural control in both young and older adults. In addition, the brainstem mediated the effect of age on postural control, underscoring the brainstem's fundamental role in aging. Conversely, lower basal ganglia volume predicted better postural performance, suggesting an association between greater neural resources in the basal ganglia and greater movement vigor, resulting in exaggerated postural adjustments. Finally, results showed that practice, shorter height and heavier weight (i.e., higher body mass index), higher total physical activity, and larger ankle active (but not passive) range of motion were predictive of more stable posture, irrespective of age.
authors.affiliation: Movement Control & Neuroplasticity Research Group, Department of Kinesiology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium. Electronic address: Matthieu.Boisgontier@kuleuven.be.
authors.forename: Matthieu P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Boisgontier
authors.affiliation: Methodology and Data Analysis Research Group, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences (FAPSE), Geneva University, Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Boris
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Cheval
authors.affiliation: Movement Control & Neuroplasticity Research Group, Department of Kinesiology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Sima
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chalavi
authors.affiliation: Movement Control & Neuroplasticity Research Group, Department of Kinesiology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; Department of Clinical Psychological Science, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: van Ruitenbeek
authors.affiliation: Movement Control & Neuroplasticity Research Group, Department of Kinesiology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Inge
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Leunissen
authors.affiliation: Movement Control & Neuroplasticity Research Group, Department of Kinesiology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Oron
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Levin
authors.affiliation: Research Group for Neuromotor Rehabilitation, Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Alice
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nieuwboer
authors.affiliation: Movement Control & Neuroplasticity Research Group, Department of Kinesiology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; Leuven Research Institute for Neuroscience & Disease (LIND), KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Stephan P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Swinnen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000473:pathology* / Q000502:physiology*; D000843:Ankle Joint / Q000502:physiology; D001479:Basal Ganglia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology* / Q000502:physiology*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001933:Brain Stem / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology* / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D004856:Postural Balance / Q000502:physiology*; D011187:Posture / Q000502:physiology*; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Aging; Basal ganglia; Brainstem; Falls; Pedunculopontine nucleus; Posture