Preliminary study of measurements of sway in an elderly community population

Abstract

Postural control seems to deteriorate with advancing age but it is not clear why this happens. As part of a larger epidemiological study of community elderly, a representative sample of 85 people aged 75 and over living at home had assessments of physical and psychological function and measurements of sway and base of support carried out, using a portable force plate. Sway increased with increasing age but there was no difference in sway between men and women. Significant positive associations were found between greater sway and impaired visual acuity, poor nutritional state and reduced mobility. Subjects with various physical impairments tended to have worse balance. Subjects who had had falls did not sway more than non-fallers, but subjects with symptoms of 'dizziness' had a significantly smaller base of support and larger sway than those without, demonstrating an association between objectively impaired balance and subjective symptoms of imbalance.