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Effects of acute trans-spinal neuromodulation on trunk posture and sacral motor output during gait in older adults
Mario N Núñez-Lisboa1, Arthur H Dewolf2
1Laboratory of biomechanics and Physiology of Locomotion, Institute of NeuroScience, Université catholique de Louvain, Place Pierre de Coubertin 1, Louvain-la-Neuve 1348, Belgium; Exercise Science Laboratory, School of Kinesiology, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad Finis Terrae, Santiago, Chile.
Background:
Age-related decline in trunk control during gait increases fall risk and limits mobility. Trans-Spinal direct current stimulation is a non-invasive technique that may modulate spinal motor output and improve neuromuscular function. This study investigated whether a single session of cathodal trans-spinal direct current stimulation alters trunk posture and sacral motor output in older adults during walking.
Methods:
Nineteen older and twenty young adults participated in a double-blind, sham-controlled study. Participants received either twenty minutes of cathodal trans-spinal direct current stimulation or sham stimulation while seated. Before and after stimulation, gait data were collected on a treadmill, including full-body kinematics, ground reaction forces, and surface electromyography from multiple lower-limb and trunk muscles. Electromyography data were projected onto a spinal topographical map to estimate segmental motor output, particularly at sacral levels.
Findings:
In older adults, trans-spinal direct current stimulation reduced the amplitude and shifted the timing of sacral motor output during walking, without significantly altering ground reaction forces. These neuromuscular changes were accompanied by a reduction in trunk flexion. No changes were observed in younger adults.
Interpretation:
A single session of cathodal trans-spinal direct current stimulation can acutely modulate sacral motor output and trunk posture in older adults without affecting kinetic parameters. These findings suggest that trans-spinal direct current stimulation may support clinical interventions aiming to address age-related neuromuscular decline during locomotion.
