NOISE-ENHANCED SENSORY FUNCTION IN ELDERS AT RISK OF FALLS

该项目的长期目标是开发一种非侵入性的、基于噪声的技术，用于增强躯体感觉，从而改善老年跌倒者和有躯体感觉缺陷的老年人的平衡控制。在以前的研究中，我们已经表明，亚感觉机械噪声（即，小强度的随机振动）可以增强健康个体和具有躯体感觉缺陷的老年人的躯体感觉功能。此外，我们已经表明，在安静的站立过程中，健康的年轻人和健康的老年人的姿势摇摆可以显着减少通过使用振动鞋垫施加亚感官机械噪声的脚。尽管有这些令人鼓舞的结果，我们仍然需要确定在 该干预对哪种类型的老年患者有效，该干预在改善动态平衡控制和除了安静站立平衡控制之外的平衡的临床测量中是否有效，以及受试者是否适应用作干预的一部分的输入噪声。因此，在这个项目中，我们计划在这项工作的基础上，探索我们的基于噪声的技术对躯体感觉障碍的老年人和经常性福尔斯的老年人的生物力学和临床平衡措施的影响。本课题的具体目标是：（1）确定噪声增强的躯体感觉效应 （2）评估有躯体感觉缺陷的老年人在噪声增强的平衡控制中是否发生适应;（3）确定有反复福尔斯的老年人在足部的噪声增强的躯体感觉对平衡性能的影响;以及（4）评估在患有复发性福尔斯的老年个体中，噪声增强的平衡控制是否发生适应。为了实现这些目标，我们将对躯体感觉缺陷的老年人和经常性福尔斯的老年人进行安静站立和动态姿势实验以及临床平衡评估。这些研究将利用RNH流行病学核心和RNH数据管理和分析核心。该项目可能导致开发一种新的生物工程技术，用于改善老年人和体感缺陷患者的平衡控制。因此，拟议的工作可有助于 减少跌倒的频率、发病率和费用，并帮助老年人在日常生活和行动活动中实现最大程度的独立性。

The long-term goal of this project is to develop a non-invasive, noise-based technique for enhancing somatosensation and thereby improving balance control in elderly fallers and older adults with somatosensory deficits. In previous studies, we have shown that sub-sensory mechanical noise (i.e., random vibration with a small intensity) can enhance somatosensory function in healthy individuals and older adults with somatosensory deficits. Moreover, we have shown that the postural sway of both healthy young and healthy elderly individuals during quiet standing can be significantly reduced by applying sub-sensory mechanical noise to the feet using vibrating shoe insoles. Despite these promising results, we still need to determine in which types of elderly patients this intervention is effective, whether the intervention is effective in improving dynamic balance control and clinical measures of balance in addition to quiet-standing balance control, and whether subjects adapt to the input noise that is used as part of the intervention. Thus, in this project, we plan to build upon this work and explore the effects of our noise-based technique on biomechanical and clinical measures of balance in elderly individuals with somatosensory deficits and older adults with recurrent falls. The specific aims of this project are: (1) to determine the effects of noise-enhanced somatosensation at the feet on balance performance in elderly individuals with somatosensory deficits; (2) to assess whether adaptation occurs in noise-enhanced balance control in elderly individuals with somatosensory deficits; (3) to determine the effects of noise-enhanced somatosensation at the feet on balance performance in elderly individuals with recurrent falls; and (4) to assess whether adaptation occurs in noise-enhanced balance control in elderly individuals with recurrent falls. To accomplish these aims, we will conduct quiet-standing and dynamic posture experiments and clinical balance assessments on elderly individuals with somatosensory deficits and elderly individuals with recurrent falls. These studies will utilize the RNH Epidemiology Core and the RNH Data Management and Analysis Core. This project could lead to the development of a novel bioengineering technique for improving balance control in older adults and patients with somatosensory deficits. The proposed work could thus serve to reduce the frequency, morbidity and cost of falling, and assist aged individuals in achieving maximal independence in activities of daily living and mobility.