Balance control is a critical task of daily life, the ability to maintain upright posture becomes of particular concern during aging when the sensory and motor system becomes deteriorated. Falls contribute to the most deaths caused by injury within the aged population, and the mortality rate following a fall is drastically elevated. Longitudinal and reliable assessment of balance control abilities is a critical point in the prediction of increased risk of falling in an elderly population. The primary aim of the study was to evaluate the efficiency of the Homebalance test in the identification of persons being at higher risk of falling. 135 subjects (82 women and 53 men) with geriatric syndrome have been recruited and the Homebalance and the Tinetti Balance test were performed. Results of both tests strongly correlated proving the good performance of the Homebalance test. Standing balance declines with increasing body mass index in both genders. Analysis of fluctuations of the center of pressure (COP) revealed higher frequency and magnitude in mediolateral direction COP movements when compared women to men. A strong negative correlation has been found between Tinetti static balance score and the total length of the COP trajectory during the examination on Homebalance (r = -0.6, p<0.001). Although both methods revealed good performance in detecting balance impairment, Homebalance test possesses higher precision due to the continuous nature of COP-derived parameters. In conclusion, our data proved that the Homebalance test is capable to identify persons with impaired balance control and thus are at higher risk of falling.

College of Physical Education and Sport PALESTRA Prague Czech Republic

Zobrazit více v PubMed

Bergen G, Stevens MR, Burns ER. Falls and fall injuries among adults aged ≥65 Years — United States, 2014. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2016;65:993–998. doi: 10.15585/mmwr.mm6537a2. PubMed DOI

Bolding DJ, Corman E. Falls in the geriatric patient. Clin Geriatr Med. 2019;35(1):115–126. doi: 10.1016/j.cger.2018.08.010. PubMed DOI

Stránský M, Ryšavá L. Nutrition as prevention and treatment of osteoporosis. Physiol Res. 2009;58(Suppl 1):S7–S11. doi: 10.33549/physiolres.931858. PubMed DOI

Mack KA. Fatal and nonfatal unintentional injuries in adult women, United States. J Womens Health (Larchmt) . 2004;13(7):754–763. doi: 10.1089/jwh.2004.13.754. PubMed DOI

Vellas BJ, Wayne SJ, Romero LJ, Baumgartner RN, Garry PJ. Fear of falling and restriction of mobility in elderly fallers. Age Ageing. 1997;26(3):189–193. doi: 10.1093/ageing/26.3.189. PubMed DOI

Krejčí M, Hill M, Jandová D, Kajzar J. Analysis of balance ability in senior age related to quality of life indicators. Kontakt/Journal of nursing and social sciences related to health and illness. 2019;21(3):320–325. doi: 10.32725/kont.2019.017. DOI

Rossi-Izquierdo M, Santos-Pérez S, Faraldo-García A, Faraldo-García A, Vaamonde-Sánchez-Andrade I, Gayoso-Diz P, Del-Rio-Valeriasová M, Lirola-Delgado A, Soto-Varela A. Impact of obesity in elderly patients with postural instability. Aging Clin Exp Res . 2016;28(3):423–428. doi: 10.1007/s40520-015-0414-4. PubMed DOI

Hirjaková Z, Šuttová K, Kimijanová J, Bzdúšková D, Hlavačka F. Postural changes during quiet stance and gait initiation in slightly obese adults. Physiol Res. 2018;67(6):985–992. doi: 10.33549/physiolres.933870. PubMed DOI

Mancini M, Horak FB. The relevance of clinical balance assessment tools to differentiate balance deficits. Eur J Phys Rehabil Med. 2010;46(2):239–248. PubMed PMC

Kegelmeyer DA, Kloos AD, Thomas KM, Kostyk SK. Reliability and validity of the tinetti mobility test for individuals with parkinson disease. Phys Ther. 2007 Oct;87(10):1369–78. doi: 10.2522/ptj.20070007. PubMed DOI

Krejčí M, Psotta R, Kajzar J, Jandová D, Hošek V. A short-term yoga-based intervention improves balance control, body composition, and some aspects of mental health in the elderly men. Acta Gymnica. 2020;50(1):16–27. doi: 10.5507/ag.2020.004. DOI

Curcio F, Basile C, Liguori I, et al. Tinetti mobility test is related to muscle mass and strength in non-institutionalized elderly people. Age (Dordr) 2016;38(5–6):525–533. doi: 10.1007/s11357-016-9935-9. PubMed DOI PMC

Tinetti ME, Williams CS, Gill TM. Dizziness among older adults: a possible geriatric syndrome. Ann Intern Med. 2000;132(5):337–344. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-132-5-200003070-00002. PubMed DOI

Clark RA, Mentiplay BF, Pua YH, Bower KJ. Reliability and validity of the Wii Balance Board for assessment of standing balance: A systematic review. Gait Posture . 2018;61:40–54. doi: 10.1016/j.gaitpost.2017.12.022. PubMed DOI

Park DS, Lee G. Validity and reliability of balance assessment software using the Nintendo Wii balance board: usability and validation. J Neuroeng Rehabil. 2014;11:99. doi: 10.1186/1743-0003-11-99. Published 2014 Jun 10. PubMed DOI PMC

Gutenbrunner C, Ward AB, Chamberlein MA. White book on physical and rehabilitation medicine in europe. J Rehab Med. 2007;45(Suppl):6–47. doi: 10.2340/16501977-0028. PubMed DOI

Bláha P. Functional and sports anthropology – selected methods (in Czech) Prague: College of PE and Sport PALESTRA; 2017.

Trygg J, Wold S. Orthogonal projections to latent structure. J Chemometrics. 2014;19

Janatová M, Tichá M, Melecký R, et al. Pilotní studie využití tenzometrické plošiny v domácí terapii poruch rovnováhy. Cesk Slov Neurol N. 2016;79/112(5):591–594.

Tinetti ME, Williams TF, Mayewski R. Fall risk index for elderly patients based on number of chronic disabilities. Am J Med. 1986;80(3):429–434. doi: 10.1016/0002-9343(86)90717-5. PubMed DOI

Tripette J, Murakami H, Ryan KR, Ohta Y, Miyachi M. The contribution of Nintendo Wii Fit series in the field of health: a systematic review and meta-analysis. PeerJ. 2017;5:e3600. doi: 10.7717/peerj.3600. Published 2017 Sep 5. PubMed DOI PMC

Whitney SL, Roche JL, Marchetti GF, et al. A comparison of accelerometry and center of pressure measures during computerized dynamic posturography: a measure of balance. Gait Posture. 2011;33(4):594–599. doi: 10.1016/j.gaitpost.2011.01.015. PubMed DOI PMC

J⊘rgensen MG. Assessment of postural balance in community-dwelling older adults - methodological aspects and effects of biofeedback-based Nintendo Wii training. Dan Med J. 2014;61(1):B4775. PubMed

Hay L, Bard C, Fleury M, Teasdale N. Availability of visual and proprioceptive afferent messages and postural control in elderly adults. Exp Brain Res. 1996;108(1):129–139. PubMed

McChesney JW, Woollacott MH. The effect of age-related declines in proprioception and total knee replacement on postural control. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2000;55(11):M658–66. PubMed

Kararizou E, Manta P, Kalfakis N, Vassilopoulos D. Morpho-metric study of the human muscle spindle. Anal Quant Cytol Histol. 2005;27(1):1–4. PubMed

Liu JX, Eriksson PO, Thornell LE, Pedrosa-Domellof F. Fiber content and myosin heavy chain composition of muscle spindles in aged human biceps brachii. J Histochem Cytochem. 2005;53(4):445–454. PubMed

Grimby G, Saltin B. The ageing muscle. Clin Physiol. 1983;3(3):209–218. doi: 10.1111/j.1475-097x.1983.tb00704.x. PubMed DOI

Larsson L, Grimby G, Karlsson J. Muscle strength and speed of movement in relation to age and muscle morphology. J Appl Physiol Respir Environ Exerc Physiol. 1979;46(3):451–456. doi: 10.1152/jappl.1979.46.3.451. PubMed DOI

D’Antona G, Pellegrino MA, Adami R, et al. The effect of ageing and immobilization on structure and function of human skeletal muscle fibres. J Physiol. 2003;552(Pt 2):499–511. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.2003.046276. PubMed DOI PMC

Frontera WR, Hughes VA, Fielding RA, Fiatarone MA, Evans WJ, Roubenoff R. Aging of skeletal muscle: a 12-yr longitudinal study. J Appl Physiol (1985) 2000;88(4):1321–1326. doi: 10.1152/jappl.2000.88.4.1321. PubMed DOI

Rosenhall U, Rubin W. Degenerative changes in the human vestibular sensory epithelia. Acta Otolaryngol. 1975;79(1–2):67–80. doi: 10.3109/00016487509124657. PubMed DOI

Lord SR, Menz HB. Visual contributions to postural stability in older adults. Gerontology. 2000;46(6):306–310. doi: 10.1159/000022182. PubMed DOI

Kováčiková Z, Sarvestan J, Zemková E. Age-related differences in stair descent balance control: Are women more prone to falls than men? PLoS One. 2021;16(1):e0244990. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0244990. Published 2021 Jan 7. PubMed DOI PMC

Bryant HE, Schultz N, Thomas HD, et al. Specific killing of BRCA2-deficient tumours with inhibitors of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase [published correction appears in Nature2007 May 17;447(7142):346] Nature. 2005;434(7035):913–917. doi: 10.1038/nature03443. PubMed DOI

Abrahamová D, Hlavacka F. Age-related changes of human balance during quiet stance. Physiol Res. 2008;57(6):957–964. doi: 10.33549/physiolres.931238. PubMed DOI

Stel VS, Smit JH, Pluijm SM, Lips P. Balance and mobility performance as treatable risk factors for recurrent falling in older persons. J Clin Epidemiol. 2003;56(7):659–668. doi: 10.1016/s0895-4356(03)00082-9. PubMed DOI

Thapa PB, Brockman KG, Gideon P, Fought RL, Ray WA. Injurious falls in nonambulatory nursing home residents: a comparative study of circumstances, incidence, and risk factors. J Am Geriatr Soc. 1996;44(3):273–278. doi: 10.1111/j.1532-5415.1996.tb00913.x. PubMed DOI

Maki BE, Holliday PJ, Topper AK. A prospective study of postural balance and risk of falling in an ambulatory and independent elderly population. J Gerontol. 1994;49(2):M72–M84. doi: 10.1093/geronj/49.2.m72. PubMed DOI

Stevens JA, Sogolow ED. Gender differences for non-fatal unintentional fall related injuries among older adults. Inj Prev. 2005;11(2):115–119. doi: 10.1136/ip.2004.005835. PubMed DOI PMC

Pereira CL, Baptista F, Infante P. Men older than 50 yrs are more likely to fall than women under similar conditions of health, body composition, and balance. Am J Phys Med Rehabil. 2013;92(12):1095–1103. doi: 10.1097/PHM.0b013e31829b49eb. PubMed DOI

Gale CR, Westbury LD, Cooper C, Dennison EM. Risk factors for incident falls in older men and women: the English longitudinal study of ageing. BMC Geriatr. 2018;18(1):117. doi: 10.1186/s12877-018-0806-3. Published 2018 May 16. PubMed DOI PMC

Henry SM, Fung J, Horak FB. Effect of stance width on multidirectional postural responses. J Neurophysiol. 2001;85(2):559–570. doi: 10.1152/jn.2001.85.2.559. PubMed DOI

Bryant EC, Trew ME, Bruce AM, Kuisma RM, Smith AW. Gender differences in balance performance at the time of retirement. Clin Biomech (Bristol, Avon) 2005;20(3):330–335. doi: 10.1016/j.clinbiomech.2004.11.006. PubMed DOI

Hue L, Rider MH. The AMP-activated protein kinase: more than an energy sensor. Essays Biochem. 2007;43:121–137. doi: 10.1042/BSE0430121. PubMed DOI

Joon NK, Ek P, Zevenhoven M, et al. Online microcolumn-based dynamic leaching method for investigation of lead bioaccessibility in shooting range soils. Chemosphere. 2020;256:127022. doi: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.127022. PubMed DOI

Hill M, Třískala Z, Honců P, et al. Aging, hormones and receptors. Physiol Res. 2020;69(Suppl 2):S255–S272. doi: 10.33549/physiolres.934523. PubMed DOI PMC

Orlando V, Mucherino S, Guarino I, Guerriero F, Trama U, Menditto E. Gender differences in medication use: a drug utilization study based on real world data. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020;17(11):3926. doi: 10.3390/ijerph17113926. Published 2020 Jun 1. PubMed DOI PMC

Otten D, Tibubos AN, Schomerus G, et al. Similarities and differences of mental health in women and men: A systematic review of findings in three large german cohorts. Front Public Health. 2021;9:553071. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2021.553071. Published 2021 Feb 5. PubMed DOI PMC

Neurophysiological Assessment of H-Reflex Alterations in Compressive Radiculopathy