[Peculiarities of postural balance among elderly men with fear of falling syndrome]

Adv Gerontol. 2012;25(1):166-70.
[Article in Russian]

Abstract

A comparative study of postural balance among elderly men of 65-85 years old with postural instability and an equal number of falls, experiencing and not experiencing the fear of the probability of falling was conducted. Analysis of the data of computer stabilometery found that men fearing to fall in all functional tests had medium speed indicators of general center of mass (GCM), the mean radius of GCMs indicators significantly higher and indicators of mean half-period fluctuations of GCMs in the sagittal and frontal areas were significantly less than among men of similar age not fearing to fall down. These results indicate that the emergence of feelings of fear of possible falls among elderly and senile patients with postural instability has an objective basis in the form of more severe violations of the postural control system in comparison with those that do not face the fear of the probability of falling.

Publication types

  • English Abstract

MeSH terms

  • Accidental Falls / statistics & numerical data*
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Aging / physiology
  • Aging / psychology*
  • Case-Control Studies
  • Fear* / psychology
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Neuropsychological Tests
  • Postural Balance* / physiology
  • Syndrome