Print Email Facebook Twitter The underlying mechanisms of improved balance after one and ten sessions of balance training in older adults Title The underlying mechanisms of improved balance after one and ten sessions of balance training in older adults Author Alizadehsaravi, L. (TU Delft Biomechatronics & Human-Machine Control; Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam) Koster, Ruud A.J. (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam) Muijres, Wouter (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam; Katholieke Universiteit Leuven) Maas, Huub (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam) Bruijn, Sjoerd M. (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam) van Dieën, Jaap H. (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam) Date 2022 Abstract Training improves balance control in older adults, but the time course and neural mechanisms underlying these improvements are unclear. We studied balance robustness and performance, H-reflex gains, paired reflex depression, and co-contraction duration in ankle muscles after one and ten training sessions in 22 older adults (+65 yrs). Mediolateral balance robustness, time to balance loss in unipedal standing on a platform with decreasing rotational stiffness, improved (33%) after one session, with no further improvement after ten sessions. Balance performance, absolute mediolateral center of mass velocity, improved (18.75%) after one session in perturbed unipedal standing and (18.18%) after ten sessions in unperturbed unipedal standing. Co-contraction duration of soleus/tibialis anterior increased (16%) after ten sessions. H-reflex gain and paired reflex depression excitability did not change. H-reflex gains were lower, and soleus/tibialis anterior co-contraction duration was higher in participants with more robust balance after ten sessions, and co-contraction duration was higher in participants with better balance performance at several time-points. Changes in robustness and performance were uncorrelated with changes in co-contraction duration, H-reflex gain, or paired reflex depression. In older adults, balance robustness improved over a single session, while performance improved gradually over multiple sessions. Changes in co-contraction and excitability of ankle muscles were not exclusive causes of improved balance. Subject Balance performanceBalance trainingCenter of mass velocityCo-contractionH-reflexPaired reflex depression To reference this document use: http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:86ff5ffb-b707-4ac4-94f4-164226301de9 DOI https://doi.org/10.1016/j.humov.2021.102910 ISSN 0167-9457 Source Human Movement Science, 81 Part of collection Institutional Repository Document type journal article Rights © 2022 L. Alizadehsaravi, Ruud A.J. Koster, Wouter Muijres, Huub Maas, Sjoerd M. Bruijn, Jaap H. van Dieën Files PDF 1_s2.0_S0167945721001585_main.pdf 2.69 MB Close viewer /islandora/object/uuid:86ff5ffb-b707-4ac4-94f4-164226301de9/datastream/OBJ/view