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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 20, 2026

Experimental Methods to Study Human Postural Control

Experimental Methods to Study Human Postural Control

Published on: September 11, 2019

Stiffness and damping in postural control increase with age.

Massimo Cenciarini¹, Patrick J Loughlin, Patrick J Sparto

¹Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA. massi.cen@gmail.com

IEEE Transactions on Bio-Medical Engineering

|September 23, 2009

Summary

Older adults exhibit increased active stiffness and damping for better standing balance control. This compensatory strategy enhances stability more effectively than increased stiffness alone, aiding in maintaining upright posture.

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Experimental Methods to Study Human Postural Control

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Published on: September 11, 2019

Evaluating the Function of the Foot Core System in the Elderly

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Published on: March 11, 2022

Area of Science:

Biomechanics
Gerontology
Neuroscience

Background:

Upright balance relies on active and passive mechanisms, both affected by aging.
Older adults often use increased co-contraction, assumed to improve stability via joint stiffness.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the effect of aging on standing balance control.
To analyze age-related changes in active and passive postural control mechanisms.

Main Methods:

Applied a postural control model to body sway data from young and older adults.
Used pseudorandom lateral floor tilts during eyes-closed stance perturbations.
Employed least-squares fitting to estimate model parameters.

Main Results:

Older adults showed significantly higher active stiffness and damping parameters.
These age-related differences persisted after normalizing for body size.
Normalized passive stiffness also showed an age effect, but passive damping did not.

Conclusions:

Aging concurrently increases active stiffness and damping in standing balance.
This combined increase offers greater stabilization than increased stiffness alone.
Findings provide insights into age-related postural control strategies.