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Abstract
The goal of this study was to compare young and elderly healthy individuals and elderly
stroke patients in their capacity to use visual CP feedback (VF) in controlling both
quiet standing and weight shifting and to assess their sensory re-weighing when this
VF is withdrawn. A total of 40 participants were involved in this study. Participants
were asked to either quietly stand on a force platform for a period of 45 s with eyes
open (EO), using visual feedback (VF) or without visual feedback (No VF) or to perform
a dynamic weight shifting task while using VF or No VF. During the quiet standing
trials with VF, only the young (YO) were able to decrease the amplitude and increase
the frequency of their sway in either plane. Removal of the VF resulted in a 'destabilizing'
effect in both healthy elderly (EL) and stroke patients (ST) in the sagittal plane.
With regard to the dynamic task, both the YO and EL were generally more successful
at weight shifting in terms of speed and control when compared to the ST. Yet, when
VF was removed, only the YO were able to largely maintain speed and precision of control.
Hence, providing or removing visual CP feedback during quiet standing or removing
VF during visually controlled weight shifting can discriminate healthy young participants
from healthy elderly, but does not clearly discriminate healthy elderly from stroke
patients in the same age group. Results revealed that sagittal plane imbalance in
healthy elderly and stroke patients may be largely due to the effects of aging, whereas
frontal plane imbalance is much more specific for the postural problems associated
with stroke.