Ageing Population and Balance Under Stressful Conditions-A Cross-Sectional Observational Study

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Neuroscience
• Physiology

Background:

• Falls represent a significant global health concern for the elderly population.
• Emotional stress is hypothesized to exacerbate fall risk by impairing postural control and balance.
• The acute impact of stressful stimuli on objective balance metrics and fall risk in older adults remains underexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the immediate effects of an emotional stressor on older adults' balance and fall risk.
• To compare Timed Up and Go (TUG) test performance before and after exposure to a standardized stressful stimulus.
• To assess physiological and psychological stress responses using heart rate variability (HRV) and a visual analogue scale (VAS).

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study involving 31 older adults (mean age 71.6 years).
• Participants were exposed to high-arousal images from the International Affective Picture System to induce emotional stress.
• The Timed Up and Go (TUG) test was administered pre- and post-stimulus exposure; heart rate variability (HRV) and VAS scores were recorded.

Main Results:

• Exposure to the stressful stimulus significantly altered HRV parameters, decreasing the high-frequency (HF) band and increasing the low-frequency (LF) band and LF/HF ratio.
• Subjective unease, measured by VAS, significantly increased post-stimulus.
• TUG test completion time significantly increased after stress exposure, indicating poorer balance performance.

Conclusions:

• The employed stressful stimulus effectively elicited both physiological and psychological stress responses in older adults.
• A decline in TUG test performance following stress exposure suggests that emotional stressors can impair functional balance.
• These findings indicate that emotionally stressful situations may elevate the risk of falls in the elderly population.