The effect of aging on termination of voluntary movement while standing: A study on community-dwelling older adults

For older adults, falls often occur when transitioning from motion to a complete stop, as the motor control required during this phase is very complex and challenging. The purpose of this study was to clarify the effect of aging on the motor control required to terminate motion. Twenty-five healthy older adults (aged >65 years) and 25 healthy young adults (20-23 years) performed a rapid stopping task while standing on a force plate. The rapid stopping task was conducted by analyzing center of pressure (COP) on the force plate during a visually guided tracking experiment. To assess the ability to terminate motion, we measured the velocity waveform for the COP, along with the reaction, propulsion, braking, and total movement times. Both the reaction and movement times of the older-adult group were significantly longer than those of the younger-adult group (all, p < 0.05). There was no significant difference between the groups in regard to the initial backward propulsion time; however, in the subsequent sequence of backward braking, forward propulsion, and backward braking, all times were longer in the older-adult group than in the younger-adult group (p < 0.05). Our results show that the series of time delays shown by older adults when initiating and terminating motion is due to not only delayed reactions but also delayed stopping. Furthermore, our findings suggest that older adults have not only a diminished propulsion ability but also a diminished braking ability.