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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Aging Neurosci.
Sec. Neurocognitive Aging and Behavior
Volume 16 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fnagi.2024.1458494

Brain Activation in Older Adults with Hypertension and Normotension during Standing Balance Task: An fNIRS study

Provisionally accepted
Weichao Fan Weichao Fan 1*Qing Zeng Qing Zeng 1Peng Zheng Peng Zheng 1*Shuyang Wen Shuyang Wen 1Gege Li Gege Li 1Tao Fan Tao Fan 1Huang Guozhi Huang Guozhi 1*Manxu Zheng Manxu Zheng 1*Qinglu Luo Qinglu Luo 2*
  • 1 Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
  • 2 School of Rehabilitation Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Background: Hypertension (HT) is a common chronic disease in older adults. It not only leads to dizziness and other symptoms affecting balance in older adults with HT but also affects the hemodynamics of the cerebral cortex. At present, potential neural mechanisms of balance control in older adults with HT are still unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the differences in the center of pressure (COP) and cerebral cortex activation between older adults with HT and normotension (NT) during standing balance tasks. This study may provide guidance for the early detection of the risk of falls among older adults with HT and the development of clinical rehabilitation strategies.In this cross-sectional study, 30 older adults with NT (NT group) and 27 older adults with HT (HT group) were subjected to three conditions: task 1, standing with eyes open on a stable surface; task 2, standing with eyes closed on a stable surface; and task 3, standing with eyes open on the surface of the foam pad.Cortical hemodynamic reactions were measured using functional near-infrared spectroscopy, and COP parameters were measured using a force plate.The mean velocity of the COP in the medial-lateral direction in the NT group was significantly higher than that in the HT group (F = 5.955, p = 0.018) during task 3. When proprioception was disturbed, the activation of the left premotor cortex and supplementary motor cortex in the HT group was significantly lower than that in the NT group (F = 14.381, p < 0.001).The standing balance function of older adults with HT does not appear to be worse based on COP parameters than those of older adults with NT. This study revealed that the changes in the central cortex related to standing balance appear to be more indicative of balance control deficits in older adults with HT than changes in peripheral COP parameters, suggesting the importance of the early evaluation of cortical 4 activation in older adults with HT at risk of falls.

    Keywords: Aging, Hypertension, balance, standing, posture control, fNIRS

    Received: 02 Jul 2024; Accepted: 10 Sep 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Fan, Zeng, Zheng, Wen, Li, Fan, Guozhi, Zheng and Luo. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence:
    Weichao Fan, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
    Peng Zheng, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
    Huang Guozhi, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
    Manxu Zheng, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
    Qinglu Luo, School of Rehabilitation Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.