SPINAL CONTROL OF BALANCE IN THE ELDERLY

描述（改编自申请人的摘要）： 对衰老的研究已经产生了足够的证据来得出结论， 与年龄相关的各种神经肌肉变量的下降。 先前 这些研究人员的研究表明， 系统的特点是不同的适应，可能会发生在响应 退化的神经肌肉器官 目前的文献表明， 灵长类动物和人类神经肌肉水平的适应性可塑性。 具体来说，如果有适当的条件反射策略，人类和 灵长类动物成功地增加或减少了 脊髓牵张反射的增强 这些实验的目的 将系统地检查老年人神经肌肉的功能， 系统关于以下方面：1）年轻人H反射的增益 和老年受试者在不同的环境条件下， 与静态和动态稳定性有关; 2）突触前抑制水平， 在不同的环境条件下，年轻人和老年人如何 这与静态和动态稳定性有关;以及3）复发性抑制 在不同环境条件下，年轻人和老年人受试者的水平 以及这与静态和动态稳定性的关系。 最后 建议将调查视觉和任务复杂性的相互作用， 调解这些差异。 将采用双刺激技术， 评估年轻人和老年人的突触前抑制和复发性抑制 不同的身体姿势。 这些脊髓的调制 不同身体姿势中的参数将与静态相关， 动态稳定性 在本提案的最后一年，短期和长期 将实施干预计划，以改善这些脊柱控制 参数，并最终在老年受试者的静态和动态平衡。

DESCRIPTION (Adapted from the Applicant's Abstract): Recent interest in the study of aging has produced sufficient evidence to conclude that there are age-related declines in a wide variety of neuromuscular variables. Previous studies from these investigators have indicated that the aging neuromuscular system is characterized by distinct adaptations that may occur in response to a deteriorating neuromuscular apparatus. Current literature suggests an adaptive plasticity at the neuromuscular level in both primates and humans. Specifically, given the appropriate conditioning strategies, humans and primates have been shown to be successful at either increasing or decreasing the gain of the spinal stretch reflex. The purpose of these experiments will be to systematically examine the function of the elderly neuromuscular system with respect to the following: 1) the gain of the H-reflex in young and elderly subjects under varying environmental conditions and how this relates to static and dynamic stability; 2) presynaptic inhibition levels in young and elderly subjects under varying environmental conditions and how this relates to static and dynamic stability; and 3) recurrent inhibition levels in young and elderly subjects under varying environmental conditions and how this relates to static and dynamic stability. Finally, this proposal will investigate interaction of vision and task complexity in mediating these differences. A double stimulation technique will be used to assess presynaptic inhibition and recurrent inhibition in young and elderly subjects in different body postures. The modulation of these spinal parameters in different body postures will be correlated with static and dynamic stability. In the final year of this proposal, short- and long-term intervention programs will be implemented to improve these spinal control parameters and, ultimately, static and dynamic balance in elderly subjects.