Neurophysiological Examination of the Effects of Behavioral Antecedents on Physical Balance in Older Individuals

Falls in older individuals can be caused by balance disorders, influenced by predictive factors based on self-efficacy and outcome expectation. This study investigated the relationship between predictive factors related to regional neural functional activity and postural control. We included 16 older men (average age, 76.4±5.8 years) and evaluated their balancing ability and fall-related selfefficacy using the Japanese version of Mini-Balance Evaluation Systems Test (J-Mini-BESTest) and the Japanese version of the Falls Efficacy Scale (JFES), respectively. We performed an electroencephalogram before, during, and after postural perturbations. The cortical activity in the right Inferior Parietal Lobe (IPL) and Supplementary Motor Area (SMA) was analyzed using current density in the specific regions of interest. Foot Response Values (FRV) were used to evaluate physical responses during postural perturbations. The neural activity values in the IPL after postural perturbations indicated a significant positive correlation with JFES and J-Mini-BESTest scores when prior information was provided to participants. The neural activity values in the SMA before postural perturbations showed a significant positive correlation with J-Mini-BESTest score and a significant negative correlation with FRV. Furthermore, during postural perturbations, subjects with prior information exhibited significant positive neural correlations with neural activity between the SMA and IPL. These results suggest that neural activity in these brain regions influence balancing ability and predictive factors. Prior knowledge of a postural perturbation’s timing could be a compensatory factor promoting the activation of predictive factors.