The Effect of Transient Balance Analysis in Identifying Fallers and Non-Fallers

Date of Award

8-1-2024

Degree Name

M.S. in Mechanical Engineering

Department

Department of Mechanical And Aerospace Engineering

Advisor/Chair

Kimberly Bigelow

Abstract

Posturography provides insight into balance and postural stability but has little evidence of its effectiveness in its ability to predict falls, an event that happens to over 25% of senior adults each year. Analysis of transient responses within force plate center of pressure (COP) data and inertial measurement unit (IMU) acceleration data could increase the effectiveness of posturography in predicting senior fallers. Fifty adults aged 60 or older volunteered to participate in a balance assessment wherein three perturbations (cognitive, visual, and weight shift) were tested, and the response collected. Typical balance COP metrics such as sway range in addition to the transient metrics of ellipse area, mean velocity, and root mean squared (RMS) were calculated. While there were no significant differences observed between fallers and non-fallers, the data showed a promising effect of the transient analysis in that fallers generally exhibited higher values in the calculated metrics, as expected. Additionally, strong correlations were observed between the IMU and force plate. A larger sample size may provide a more comprehensive investigation of the effect of transient balance in identifying and predicting fallers in senior adults.

Keywords

Balance Force Plate Inertia Measurement Unit (IMU) Transient Balance Posturography

Rights Statement

Copyright © 2024, author.

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