Shifting the gear on shifting weight: behavioral, neural and neuromuscular correlates of ageing

Older adults show deficits with dynamic weight shifting, which is inherent to gait difficulties and falling. For a long time, postural control was considered an automatic, reflex-controlled task, suggesting minimal input from attentional resources. However, dual-task paradigms have shown that maintaining postural stability demands a significant attentional input, which is age-dependent. In addition, little is known about the ability to relearn fluent weight shifting, let alone the mechanisms underlying postural motor learning in aging. Therefore, studying the muscle coordination and activation patterns, as well as the neural mechanisms, is of great importance to increase our understanding of the plasticity of balance control. The current project aims to gain novel insights in the behavioral and neural correlates of weight-shifting difficulties. In addition, this project intends to generate new knowledge on the practice and consolidation effects of weight shifting and their imprint on the brain. We will use a virtual reality game (WASP task) to assess and practice weight shifting skills during various speed and dual task conditions. In addition, we will use electromyography (EMG) to measure muscle activation patterns and functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to capture alterations in brain activity during postural task performance and learning. The results of this project may thus form a basis for implementing technology-based motor learning to improve postural stability in ageing and PD.