Muscle Strength and Age Effects in Balance Recovery

平衡恢复中的肌肉力量和年龄影响

• 批准号: 6941266
• 负责人: MICHAEL L MADIGAN
• 金额: $ 6.98万
• 依托单位: VIRGINIA POLYTECHNIC INST AND ST UNIV
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 财政年份: 2004
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2004-08-01 至 2006-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/6941266
• 关键词: accidental falls; adolescence (12-20); age difference; balance; biomechanics; clinical research; gait; human middle age (35-64); injury prevention; muscle strength; occupational hazard; young adult human (21-34)

DESCRIPTION: Fall-related injuries are a major problem within industry and the general society when measured in terms of economic losses and human suffering. Older adults in particular are more susceptible to fall-related injuries due to higher fall rates and a greater likelihood of injury from a fall. The well documented reduction in muscle strength that occurs with aging is thought to be one factor contributing to the higher fall rates in older adults. Despite substantial evidence implicating age-related strength reductions in the higher falls rates among older adults, the specific biomechanical mechanism by which strength reductions contribute to falls remains unclear. Based on results from a previous study, a substantial number of falls occur after tripping even though individuals are able to complete a step in an attempt to recover their balance. It is thus hypothesized that events subsequent to step completion are critical to balance recovery. The current study will use an existing experimental model of balance recovery to investigate insufficient joint torques in the stepping leg, after taking a step to recover balance, as a mechanism contributing to tripping and falling accidents. If these torques are insufficient, they would not adequately decelerate trunk angular momentum and/or would not prevent the stepping leg from collapsing. As a result, the individual would fall. The two projects outlined in the proposed research will 1) establish baseline measurements of stepping leg joint torques during balance recovery in a young adult population, and 2) compare measurements of stepping leg joint torques in healthy older adults during balance recovery to those of young adults. Completion of these projects will provide specific information towards identifying biomechanical mechanisms that contribute to falls in older adults. This information can be used to develop specific intervention strategies, such as weight training regiments, aimed at fall prevention.

描述：从经济损失和人类痛苦的角度衡量，跌倒相关伤害是工业界和整个社会的一个主要问题。尤其是老年人，由于跌倒率较高且跌倒受伤的可能性较大，因此更容易受到跌倒相关伤害。有据可查的随着年龄增长而发生的肌肉力量下降被认为是导致老年人跌倒率较高的因素之一。尽管有大量证据表明老年人跌倒率较高与年龄相关的力量下降有关，但力量下降导致跌倒的具体生物力学机制仍不清楚。 根据之前的研究结果，尽管人们能够完成一个步骤以尝试恢复平衡，但仍有大量跌倒发生在绊倒后。因此，假设步骤完成后的事件对于平衡恢复至关重要。目前的研究将使用现有的平衡恢复实验模型来研究迈步腿中关节扭矩不足，在采取步骤恢复平衡后，作为导致绊倒和跌倒事故的机制。如果这些扭矩不足，它们将不能充分地减速躯干角动量和/或不能防止踏腿塌陷。结果，这个人就会跌倒。拟议研究中概述的两个项目将1）建立年轻成年人平衡恢复期间迈腿关节扭矩的基线测量值，2）将健康老年人平衡恢复期间迈腿关节扭矩的测量值与年轻人进行比较。这些项目的完成将为识别导致老年人跌倒的生物力学机制提供具体信息。这些信息可用于制定具体的干预策略，例如旨在预防跌倒的重量训练团。