title: Virtual reality applications in assessing the effect of anxiety on sensorimotor integration in human postural control.
abstract: Falls are a leading cause of injury and mortality among adults over the age of 65 years. Given the strong relation between fear of falling and fall risk, identification of the mechanisms that underlie anxiety-related changes in postural control may pave the way to the development of novel therapeutic strategies aimed at reducing fall risk in older adults. First, we review potential mechanisms underlying anxiety-mediated changes in postural control in older adults with and without neurological conditions. We then present a system that allows for the simultaneous recording of neural, physiological, and behavioral data in an immersive virtual reality (VR) environment while implementing sensory and mechanical perturbations to evaluate alterations in sensorimotor integration under conditions with high postural threat. We also discuss applications of VR in minimizing falls in older adults and potential future studies.
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Widdowson
authors.forename: Jatin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ganhotra
authors.forename: Mohammed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Faizal
authors.forename: Marissa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wilko
authors.forename: Saurin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Parikh
authors.forename: Zainulabidin
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Adhami
authors.forename: Manuel E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Hernandez
mesh_terms: D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000517:prevention & control; D000368:Aged; D001007:Anxiety / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004576:Electromyography; D005239:Fear; D006801:Humans; D009424:Nervous System Physiological Phenomena; D004856:Postural Balance / Q000502:physiology*; D063367:Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*