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Techniques of therapeutic communication I: Active Listening, Sharing Observations, Validation, and Using Touch

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Exergaming in Older People Living with HIV Improves Balance, Mobility and Ameliorates Some Aspects of Frailty

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Interpersonal light touch assists balance in the elderly.

Leif Johannsen¹, Azucena Guzman-Garcia, Alan M Wing

¹Behavioural Brain Sciences Centre, School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, United Kingdom. l.johannsen@bham.ac.uk

Journal of Motor Behavior

|May 23, 2009

Summary

Light touch with another person or a stable object reduces body sway in older adults. Interpersonal touch decreased sway by 13%, while object touch reduced it by 31%.

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Area of Science:

Biomechanics
Gerontology
Human Factors

Background:

Light touch with a fixed object stabilizes posture.
Light touch with a moving object can destabilize posture.
Interpersonal touch is crucial in daily life, especially in elderly care.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the effect of interpersonal light touch on postural sway in older adults.
To compare the effects of interpersonal light touch versus fixed object light touch on balance.

Main Methods:

Measured ground reaction forces and trunk movements in 5 pairs of older adults (average age 65.1 years).
Participants stood quietly, touched a person lightly, and touched a fixed object lightly.
Analyzed postural sway under different light touch conditions.

Main Results:

Postural sway was reduced in both light touch conditions.
Interpersonal light touch reduced sway by 13%.
Fixed object light touch reduced sway by 31%.

Conclusions:

Interpersonal light touch, similar to fixed object touch, can reduce postural sway in older adults.
A positive correlation between sway and phase lag suggests anticipation plays a role in maintaining interpersonal touch.
Interpersonal light touch presents a novel paradigm for balance research.