Psychology Lab
Research Question:
Why do older adults show a decrease on postural control?
Hypothesis:
Older adults with decreased knee or ankle threshold joint position sensation would show decreased postural control.
• Threshold joint position is a test of sensory sensitivity used to quantify each subject’s proprioceptive abilities
Methods:
• 22 women and men, 70 yoa or older
• all subjects had threshold joint position testing at ankle (plantar and dorsiflexion) and knee joints (flexion and extension)
- Subjects were told to press a stop button the moment they detected movement in the joint
- performance was measured in degree of joint rotation that occurred prior to their sensing movement
- This data was used to categorize subjects …show more content…
• Poor ankle TJPS demonstrated significant differences in the control of their COP during quiet stance when compared with subjects with good ankle TJPS
• Poor ankle plantar flexion TJPS stood on force plate, eyes open and closed, showed significant increases in COP A-P and lateral sway amp and vel
• Poor ankle dorsiflexion TJPS showed increases in lateral COP amp and vel but not in A-P amp or vel
• (very good and very poor comparison) TJSP demonstrated significant difference between groups
• Very poor ankle plantar flexion TJPS showed increased A-P and lateral COP amp and vel across all conditions compared with those with very good ankle plantar flexion TJPS
• Subjects with very poor ankle dorsiflex TJPS demonstrated sig greater lateral COP amp & vel with eyes open and greater lateral cop velocity when compared to their very good ankle dorsiflexion TJPS
• Very poor subjects didn’t demonstrate a visual dependence when eyes had to be closed (dorsiflexion)
• Dorsiflexion comparsions were not as great as plantar flexion comparisons
• Very poor plantar flexion group had visual dependence when had to have eyes closed
• Very poor plantar flexion TJPS swayed with more COP displacement amplitude than lateral & A-P controls, also showed increased velocity of cop movement in lateral and A-P
Research Question:
Why do older adults show a decrease on postural control?
Hypothesis:
Older adults with decreased knee or ankle threshold joint position sensation would show decreased postural control.
• Threshold joint position is a test of sensory sensitivity used to quantify each subject’s proprioceptive abilities
Methods:
• 22 women and men, 70 yoa or older
• all subjects had threshold joint position testing at ankle (plantar and dorsiflexion) and knee joints (flexion and extension)
- Subjects were told to press a stop button the moment they detected movement in the joint
- performance was measured in degree of joint rotation that occurred prior to their sensing movement
- This data was used to categorize subjects …show more content…
• Poor ankle TJPS demonstrated significant differences in the control of their COP during quiet stance when compared with subjects with good ankle TJPS
• Poor ankle plantar flexion TJPS stood on force plate, eyes open and closed, showed significant increases in COP A-P and lateral sway amp and vel
• Poor ankle dorsiflexion TJPS showed increases in lateral COP amp and vel but not in A-P amp or vel
• (very good and very poor comparison) TJSP demonstrated significant difference between groups
• Very poor ankle plantar flexion TJPS showed increased A-P and lateral COP amp and vel across all conditions compared with those with very good ankle plantar flexion TJPS
• Subjects with very poor ankle dorsiflex TJPS demonstrated sig greater lateral COP amp & vel with eyes open and greater lateral cop velocity when compared to their very good ankle dorsiflexion TJPS
• Very poor subjects didn’t demonstrate a visual dependence when eyes had to be closed (dorsiflexion)
• Dorsiflexion comparsions were not as great as plantar flexion comparisons
• Very poor plantar flexion group had visual dependence when had to have eyes closed
• Very poor plantar flexion TJPS swayed with more COP displacement amplitude than lateral & A-P controls, also showed increased velocity of cop movement in lateral and A-P