Brain Functional Alterations Associated With Postural Stability Across the Frailty Continuum: A Resting-State fMRI...

Area of Science:

• Geriatric Medicine
• Neuroscience
• Aging Research

Background:

• Frailty is a geriatric syndrome marked by declining physical function and increased vulnerability.
• Diminished postural stability is a key frailty symptom, but its neural underpinnings are not fully understood.
• This study investigates brain activity in older adults with varying frailty levels and its relation to balance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify differences in resting-state brain functional activity across non-frail, pre-frail, and frail older adults.
• To explore the relationship between brain functional activity and postural stability in these groups.
• To provide neuroimaging evidence for understanding frailty-related balance impairments.

Main Methods:

• Sixty-eight older adults were categorized into non-frail, pre-frail, and frail groups.
• Postural stability was assessed using the Huber®360 system.
• Resting-state fMRI (rs-fMRI) data were analyzed for amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (ALFF) and regional homogeneity (ReHo).

Main Results:

• Frail and pre-frail groups were older and had poorer physical performance and more comorbidities.
• Significant differences in ALFF and ReHo were found in brain regions including the cerebellum, pons, insula, and temporal/occipital gyri.
• ALFF and ReHo showed significant correlations with measures of postural stability, SPPB, and TUGT.

Conclusions:

• Resting-state brain function varies significantly with frailty status in older adults.
• Altered brain activity in the cerebellum-pons circuitry and cognition-related areas is linked to impaired balance.
• These findings support neuroimaging for early frailty screening and highlight the role of CNS function in balance deficits.