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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 4, 2026

Computerized Dynamic Posturography for Postural Control Assessment in Patients with Intermittent Claudication
14:52

Computerized Dynamic Posturography for Postural Control Assessment in Patients with Intermittent Claudication

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Older fallers with poor working memory overestimate their postural limits.

Teresa Liu-Ambrose1, Yasmin Ahamed, Peter Graf

  • 1Centre for Hip Health, Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada. dtambrose@shaw.ca

Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
|July 1, 2008
PubMed
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Poor working memory in older adults impairs postural limits, increasing fall risk. This study found a significant link between executive functioning and balance judgment in fallers.

Area of Science:

  • Gerontology
  • Neuroscience
  • Biomechanics

Background:

  • Falls in older adults are a major public health concern, often linked to impaired balance and executive function.
  • Working memory, particularly its executive component, plays a crucial role in motor planning and real-time postural adjustments.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the relationship between working memory capacity and the accuracy of perceived postural limits in older adults with a history of falls.
  • To determine if impaired executive functioning is associated with a reduced ability to accurately perceive postural limits.

Main Methods:

  • A cross-sectional study involving 33 community-dwelling older adults who had experienced falls.
  • Perceived postural limits were assessed using the perceived reach test.

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Last Updated: Jul 4, 2026

Computerized Dynamic Posturography for Postural Control Assessment in Patients with Intermittent Claudication
14:52

Computerized Dynamic Posturography for Postural Control Assessment in Patients with Intermittent Claudication

Published on: December 11, 2013

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A Modified Lean and Release Technique to Emphasize Response Inhibition and Action Selection in Reactive Balance

Published on: March 19, 2020

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  • Working memory, specifically the central executive component, was evaluated using the difference between forward and backward digit span test scores.

    • Main Results:

    • Older fallers with poor working memory demonstrated significantly greater errors in perceiving their postural limits compared to those with good working memory (P=.01).
    • The central executive component of working memory was independently associated with the accuracy of perceived reach, explaining 18.2% of the variance (R² change).
    • This association significantly improved the regression model predicting perceived reach accuracy.

    Conclusions:

    • Impaired executive functioning, a component of working memory, may elevate the risk of falls in older adults by compromising their judgment during motor planning for daily activities.
    • These findings highlight a potential mechanism linking cognitive decline to increased fall risk, emphasizing the importance of assessing executive function in fall prevention strategies.
    • Further research with larger cohorts is recommended to validate these findings and explore intervention possibilities.