Postural control and plantar sensitivity in young and elderly persons

• Autor(a) principal: Alfieri, Fábio Marcon
• Data de Publicação: 2019
• Outros Autores: Vieira, Carolyne Freita, Vargas e Silva, Natália Cristina de Oliveira
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: por
• Título da fonte: Saúde (Santa Maria)
• Texto Completo: https://periodicos.ufsm.br/revistasaude/article/view/32971
• topic: Posture; Aged; Adult; Accidental falls; Postura; Idoso; Adulto; Acidentes por quedas

Alterations due to the aging process may impact postural control and plantar skin sensitivity. These changes are predisposing factors to falls in the elderly. Objective: To compare plantar skin sensitivity and postural control in young and elderly individuals, and to seek associations between these variables in both age groups. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study involving 63 individuals of both sexes. Participants were evaluated using the Timed Up and Go test (TUG), Unipodal Support and Esthesiometry (with nylon monofilaments). Results: Young individuals presented significantly better results than the elderly at the time of TUG execution, time of unipodal support and plantar sensitivity, evaluated by the esthesiometry (p<0.0001). Correlations between the study variables revealed weak and very weak associations (non-significant), both among the young and the elderly individuals, except for the association between unipodal support time and right-sided esthesiometry among young individuals (r = -0, 35, p = 0.05). Conclusions: Plantar sensitivity and postural control are lower in the elderly when compared to young individuals, and there was no association between the clinical test of postural control and plantar sensitivity evaluated by esthesiometry.