Aging and Balance Control in Virtual Reality
Author Information
Author(s): Bugnariu Nicoleta, Fung Joyce
Primary Institution: University of Ottawa
Hypothesis
How does aging affect the ability to maintain balance in the presence of sensory conflicts?
Conclusion
Older adults can improve their balance capabilities through virtual reality training, even in the presence of sensory conflicts.
Supporting Evidence
- Older adults showed larger center of mass excursions compared to young adults during balance tasks.
- Visual-only perturbations elicited minimal postural responses in both age groups.
- With repeated exposures, older adults improved their ability to maintain balance.
Takeaway
As people get older, they might have a harder time keeping their balance, but practicing in virtual reality can help them get better at it.
Methodology
Healthy young and older adults maintained quiet stance in a virtual environment while exposed to visual and surface perturbations.
Potential Biases
Potential bias due to the small number of participants and the specific demographic of the sample.
Limitations
The study involved a small sample size and short duration of virtual reality exposure.
Participant Demographics
10 young adults (mean age 26) and 10 older adults (mean age 72), balanced in gender.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.05
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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