Changes in postural control in older adults: a five-year longitudinal study

At an advanced age, alterations in postural control are common however there is lack information related to high-functioning older adults. This study aimed to compare postural control in a bipedal stance in healthy, high-functioning older adults after 5 years.Twenty-three older adults aged 65.7 ± 4.0 years were evaluated at baseline and after 5 years using the Activities-specific Balance Confidence Scale (ABC), the Tinetti balance assessment tool (TBAT) and posturography. Postural control in the bipedal stance was assessed for 30 s using two force platforms in firm surface with eyes open (EO) and closed (EC), and similarly in foam surface (FEO; FEC). During the 5-year follow-up, the ABC score significantly increased (P = 0.030), suggesting higher confidence in maintaining balance. The mean center-of-pressure velocity increased in both mediolateral (ML) and anteroposterior (AP) directions in the EO (P < 0.05) and FEO (P < 0.001). There were some significant changes in entropy measures for various procedures and directions. All these significant changes increased during five years period. Our results suggest that in high-functioning older adults the process of represents rather the adaptation, not an inevitable journey to “frailty” and the human body systems organize solutions with different levels of complexity.