balance Flashcards
what is balance?
- ability to maintain line/ centre of gravity within base of support
what is the global elderly population like and why?
- high global population due to declined fertility rates and increased length of life
what does ageing include?
- chain of adverse physiological events
what are the ultimate physiology events due to ageing?
- functional deterioration
- mobility disability
what is sarcopenia? what is it characterised by?
- generalised skeletal muscle disorder
- characterised by reduced muscle mass and strength
what is sarcopenia associated with? what effects does it have?
- associated with range of negative health outcomes
- increased risk for falls
- display reduced cardiorespiratory fitness
what are the three significant contributors of sarcopenia?
- chronic diseases
- reduced cognition
- psychological factors
what can be targeted relating to risk factors? how would you do this?
- modifiable risk factors can be targeted through intervention
- via physical activity and nutrition
what is frailty?
- reduced physiologic reserve vulnerable to external stressors
what is the fall incidence in frail adults?
- between 6.7 to 44%
what is frailty induced falls associated with?
- increased risk of fractures, hospitalisation and institutionalisation
^ severity of frailty= ^ risk of future falls
what is the frailty assessment described as? what does it explore?
- comprehensive geriatric assessment
- explores multiple domains effectively
what are examples of frailty assessments?
- Fried phenotype
- clinical frailty scale
where are frailty assessments used? what would be ideal?
- used in different sections e.g., clinical, community
- ideal to consider follow- up assessment
what are the three dimensions of frailty?
- time
- disease
- disuse
what does hyper- acute frailty syndromes display as? (5)
- immobility
- falls
- delirium
- fluctuating disability
- incontinence
what is postural control?
- maintain static posture in various positions
- achieve voluntary movement between postures
describe where the gravity line is in postural control
- line of gravity falls within the base of support
what do you restore via postural control and how?
- restore posture by reacting to external forces
what is postural stability?
- adjust posture in response to voluntary movement
what is an equilibrium?
- react to external stresses/ disturbances to maintain posture
what are the three balance systems?
- somatosensory/ proprioceptive system
- vestibular system
- visual system
what is the somatosensory/ proprioceptive system? what awareness does it involve?
- major contributor for postural control in static and dynamic conditions
- awareness of body in space
what does somatosensory/ proprioceptive system enable? what does it influence?
- enables stability and orientation during static and dynamic activities
- influences motor learning and re- education
what does vestibular system orientate in? what does it co- ordinate?
- orientates in 3- dimensional space
- co- ordinates motor response, eye movement and posture
what does the vestibular system modify? what does it detect?
- modifies muscle tone and balance
- detects motion of head and postural control during head movement
what is the visual system? what does it involve?
- integrated visual cues for CoM stability
- includes visual fields, visual environment, support surface
what does visual system allow a human to do? what does it include?
- allows balancing in upright stance to be more stable with eyes open
- size of base of support, rigidity or compliance
what system does postural control require?
- interactions between multiple systems
- any system can dominate
- combined feedback from each system is integrated
