Evaluation of Postural Control on the Elderly using Stabilogram Diffusion Analysis

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the postural control ability using stabilogram-diffusion analysis (SDA). Any parameters of SDA were compared with several parameters of body sway derived from recordings of the center of pressure (COP) with the aid of a static force platform. The subjects were 38 elderly healthy volunteers. They quietly stood on a static force plat form with open and closing eyes. As the results, there was a significant correlation between the diffusion constant derived from the parameters of SDA and the parameters of COP with eyes open and closed. The correlation was found to be greater in the closing eye condition than that in the open eye condition. The correlations between diffusion coefficients and the range and mean of anterior-posterior velocity were greater than the correlations between the diffusion coefficients and the range and mean of the lateral velocity. Thus, the muscle of the tibialis anterior and the planter muscles was suggested.