Abstract:

Objective To investigate the individual factors of postural adjustment reaction time and movement time during adaptive equilibrium.

Methods From March to December, 2021, 126 healthy adults aged 18 to 80 years were recruited at the First Medical Center of the General Hospital of the Chinese PLA. The DE-A somatosensory balance detection system was used to detect their postural adjustment reaction time (RT) and movement time (MT) as the platform tilting in multiple directions during standing (static) or walking (dynamic). The ages, genders, body mass index (BMI) and physical activity level of them were investigated.

Results The age was the only factor independently associated with dynamic RT and MT in all the directions (β > 0.632, P< 0.05). For static MT, as the platform tilting forward, physical activity level (β = -0.143, P< 0.05), BMI (β = 0.154, P< 0.05) and age (β = 0.663, P< 0.05) were the independently associated factors; as the platform tilting leftward, gender (β = -0.173, P< 0.05) and age (β = 0.647, P< 0.05) were the independently associated factors; and age was the only independently associated factor for other directions (β > 0.571, P< 0.05). For the static RT, age was the only independently associated factor for all the directions (β > 0.615, P< 0.05).

Conclusion Age is the most important independently factor related to postural adjustment during adaptive equilibrium, and aging may delay the postural adjustment after instability.

Key words: adaptive equilibrium, postural control, reaction time, movement time