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Published on: April 12, 2016
Posturo-respiratory synchronization: effects of aging and stroke
Brad D Manor1, Kun Hu, Chung-Kang Peng
1Division of Gerontology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA 02215, USA. bmanor@bidmc.harvard.edu
Gait & Posture
|April 6, 2012
Summary
Healthy individuals actively adapt to breathing, minimizing its effect on balance. This study found increased synchronization between breathing and body sway in older adults and stroke patients, especially with eyes closed, suggesting a new clinical marker for postural control.
Area of Science:
- Biomechanics
- Neuroscience
- Physiology
Background:
- Spontaneous respiration impacts the body's center-of-mass during standing.
- The healthy postural control system typically adapts to respiration to minimize postural sway.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the interaction between respiration and postural sway (center-of-pressure oscillations).
- To quantify "posturo-respiratory synchronization" and its relationship with age, visual input, and neurological conditions like stroke.
Main Methods:
- Simultaneous recording of respiratory flow and center-of-pressure (COP) dynamics in 38 controls and 25 stroke patients (50-80 years).
- Analysis using ensemble empirical mode decomposition to extract dominant oscillatory modes.
- Quantification of synchronization strength based on phase shifts between respiratory and COP oscillations.
Main Results:
- Significant posturo-respiratory synchronization was observed only in the anteroposterior direction.
- Synchronization strength increased with age and was amplified by closing the eyes.
- Stroke patients exhibited greater synchronization increases with eyes closed compared to controls.
Conclusions:
- A control system actively regulates respiration's effect on sagittal-plane postural sway, particularly when standing with eyes open.
- Increased posturo-respiratory synchronization with age and in stroke patients suggests its potential as a clinical marker for altered postural control.
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