Conscious Movement Processing, Postural Stability and Muscle Efficiency in Older Adults

The Effects of Conscious Movement Processing on Postural Stability and Muscle Efficiency While Standing in a Challenging Environment by Older Adults at Risk of Falling in Hong Kong: Implications for Rehabilitation.

This study aims to address critical knowledge gaps by investigating the effects of trait conscious movement processing propensity on real-time (state) conscious movement processing propensity, postural stability, and muscle efficiency in older adults at risk of falling in Hong Kong with high and low trait conscious movement processing propensities, while standing in a challenging environment with different levels of standing task difficulties. The study results would contribute to our scientific understanding of the mechanisms of conscious movement processing in older adults while maintaining standing balance in a challenging environment. It could inform the follow-up investigations for the development of the most appropriate psychomotor standing balance re-education intervention in rehabilitation so as to mitigate the effect of conscious movement processing and the risk of falling in older adults. The findings from the proposed research could ultimately help improve the outcome of fall rehabilitation programmes and reduce the impact of falls in the older adults in Hong Kong.

Inclusion Criteria:

• 65 years old or above;
• able to stand independently without a walking aid.

Exclusion Criteria:

• a history of any major cerebrovascular and/or neurological disorders (e.g., stroke, Parkinson's disease);
• a history of a major fall event within the past year;
• the existence of an unstable medical or mobility condition that could affect safety in this study;
• a score of 23/30 or below in the Chinese version of Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE-C);
• a static visual acuity poorer than 20/40 vision (examined by the Tumbling-E eye chart).