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Age effects on multi-muscle modes during voluntary body sway
Yun Wang1, Kazuhiko Watanabe, Tadayoshi Asaka
1a Tianjin Key Lab of Exercise Physiology and Sports Medicine, Department of Health and Exercise Science , Tianjin University of Sport , Hexi District , Tianjin , China.
Research in Sports Medicine (Print)
|January 30, 2015
Summary
Older adults use different muscle coordination strategies, employing more co-contraction and mixed muscle modes (M-modes) during voluntary body sway (VS) compared to young adults.
Area of Science:
- Biomechanics
- Neuroscience
- Gerontology
Background:
- Postural control involves complex muscle coordination.
- Muscle modes (M-modes) represent organized muscle activation patterns.
- Aging may alter these muscle coordination strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate age-related differences in M-modes during voluntary body sway (VS).
- To compare M-mode composition between young and older adults stabilizing anterior-posterior (AP) center of pressure (COP) displacement.
Main Methods:
- Electromyography (EMG) of 10 postural muscles recorded during VS task.
- Principal Component Analysis (PCA) used to identify M-modes.
- Analysis focused on AP COP displacement and muscle activation patterns.
Main Results:
- No age differences in COP displacement magnitude or variance explained by M-modes.
- Older adults used co-contraction and mixed M-modes more frequently.
- Young adults utilized reciprocal M-modes more often.
Conclusions:
- Aging is associated with altered muscle coordination strategies during postural control.
- Reduced ability to unite dorsal and ventral muscles observed in older adults.
- Central nervous system (CNS) may adopt compensatory strategies for balance in aging.
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