Age Differences in Vestibular Brain Connectivity Are Associated With Balance Performance

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Gerontology
• Sensory Systems

Background:

• Brain network connectivity, particularly visual and auditory, declines with age.
• The effects of aging on vestibular functional connectivity and its behavioral associations remain underexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate age-related differences in vestibular cortex functional connectivity.
• To examine the association between vestibular connectivity and postural stability across the lifespan.

Main Methods:

• Functional connectivity was assessed using fMRI during rest and vestibular stimulation.
• Postural stability was measured using body sway during the Romberg balance task with sensory degradation.
• Participants included young and older adults.

Main Results:

• Vestibular connectivity was higher in young adults compared to older adults.
• Vestibular connectivity increased from rest to stimulation conditions across all participants.
• In young adults, higher vestibular connectivity during stimulation correlated with increased body sway, suggesting selective vestibular input processing for balance.

Conclusions:

• Aging is associated with reduced vestibular functional connectivity.
• The relationship between vestibular connectivity and postural stability differs significantly between young and older adults.
• Young adults may rely on selective vestibular processing for maintaining balance, a mechanism that appears altered in older adults.