Studying How Stress Affects Balance and Movement in Young and Older Adults Using Balance Detection Devices

What this Trial Is About

The aging process causes changes in organs and tissues that can lead to frailty and a higher risk of falls, which are a major cause of death worldwide. Falls in older adults often result in hospitalization, immobilization, and fear of falling again, which can cause disability. This research aims to better understand how stress affects neuromuscular function, postural control, and balance in elderly people, by exploring the interactions between cognition, stress, and motor control. All participants will undergo a baseline cognitive and physical assessment followed by an experimental session. During the baseline test, they will view low-arousal images from the International Affective Picture System IAPS while performing movements such as standing up, walking, manipulating bottles, and sitting down. In the experimental test, they will repeat these movements while viewing high-arousal IAPS images, with images projected continuously in the background during tasks. Both young and older adults participate, with sub-analyses for elderly individuals based on cognitive impairment and functional dependence. Participants will be monitored using surface electromyography, pressure sensors on the floor, accelerometers, and balance assessments during both tests. Heart rate variability, respiratory rate, and unease levels after viewing images will also be measured. The study involves physical and cognitive assessments before and after image exposure and movement tasks. The total participation duration varies with testing and assessments. This study is sponsored by the University of Alcala.

Detection of Balance in the Elderly Under the Influence of Stress