Balance Control in Older Adults

To avoid falls during everyday movements, we need to maintain balance, i.e., control the position of our body’s center of mass relative to our base of support. The balance control system comprises sensory subsystems, their afferent nerves, an extensive brain network, its efferent nerves, and the motor system. Physiological aging of each of these subsystems may limit the ability to control balance in standing and walking. To test the balance control in older adults, methods based on questionnaires, functional tests of posture and movement are available. More advanced methods may quantify the ability to control or regain balance or the performance of specific subsystems.