Influence of age on static balance during cognitive tasks

Problem of the study: Physiological ageing processes, such as decline of muscle power, cognitive function, proprioception, range of motion, decreased reaction time, changes in sensomotory system make an influence to balance control. Balance disorders are related to risk of falls (Ambrose et al., 2013; Rutkauskiene et al., 2012). In everyday life, we always do a lot of motor and cognitive tasks in one time such as standing and talking or walking and using a mobile phone. Increased cognitive demands are required to determine adaptive compensation processes to sustain performance. (Seidler et al., 2010). In the clinical setting, dual-task performance is of growing importance for geriatricians when the motor task encompasses postural balance on upright position, since its impairment is unavoidably associated with increased fall risk (Muir et al., 2010). Fraizer & Mitra (2008) says that maintaining an upright stance under conditions that challenge balance, is often found to affect concurrent cognitive task. On the other hand, the ways in which cognitive tasks impact postural performance are less reliable (Boisgontier et al., 2013). Recent reviews (Agmon et al., 2014; Bergamin et al., 2014; Zanotto et al., 2014) have agreed about the lack of a simple and easyadministrable method to measure the postural stability during dual-task conditions. It is important to identify not only how cognitive tasks effects static balance, but to conceptualize how the progression of measurements change through the lifespan (Bergamin et al., 2014). Object of the study: static balance during cognitive tasks. Aim of the study: to evaluate influence of age to men’s static balance during cognitive tasks. Goals of the study: 1. To evaluate and establish young men’s static balance with and without cognitive tasks. 2. To evaluate and establish older men’s static balance with and without cognitive tasks. 3. To compare the young and older men’s results. Hypothesis: Based on earlier studies, we believe, that performing a cognitive tasks would influence older men static balance and the results would be worse comparing to young men.(Bergamin et al., 2014; Coelho et al., 2016).8 Conclusions: 1. Center of pressure velocity and sway amplitude of young men’s were the biggest standing in Romberg stance with eyes closed. Performing cognitive task had no influence for static balance. 2. The postural center of pressure velocity and sway amplitude in Ax axis of older men’s were the biggest in standing in Romberg stance with eyes open. Performing cognitive task had no influence for static balance. 3. Major center of pressure velocity and sway amplitude were of older men’s than young ones in Romberg stance during counting task