%0 Journal Article
%T Changes in the Equilibrium of Standing on One Leg at Various Life Stages
%A Shu Morioka
%A Takahiko Fukumoto
%A Makoto Hiyamizu
%A Atsushi Matsuo
%A Hideaki Takebayashi
%A Kenzo Miyamoto
%J Current Gerontology and Geriatrics Research
%D 2012
%I Hindawi Publishing Corporation
%R 10.1155/2012/516283
%X The ability to maintain a one-leg standing position and the relation between plantar two-point discrimination and standing time on one leg were assessed. Participants were 1,241 apparently healthy people aged 2¨C92 years. Participants were asked to stand on one leg with eyes open (EO group) or closed (EC group) for up to 120 seconds. Coefficients of determination (COD) between subjectsĄŻ ages and results for both groups were calculated by quadratic and cubic functions. The slope of the tangent line drawn against the resultant curve was calculated by a differential formula. COD for the quadratic function were 0.65 (EO) and 0.33 (EC); age at maximum values in both groups was 37 years. COD for the cubic function were 0.77 (EO) and 0.52 (EC); maximum values were at ages 30 (EO) and 28 (EC) and minimum values at ages 88 (EO) and 77 (EC). The ability to remain standing on one leg with eyes closed appears to begin deteriorating in the late 20s. Age and plantar two-point discrimination distance had a significant positive correlation, and the two-point discrimination distance and standing time on one leg had a significant negative correlation. Decreased plantar sensation appears to be related to the decline in duration of one-leg standing. 1. Introduction Children will gain upright postural control equivalent to adultsĄŻ when they are aged 7¨C10 years [1¨C4] or 9¨C12 years [5] according to various studies. The reason may be that children aged over 6 years can appropriately integrate the afferent sensory information required for posture control [6] and acquire the same upright postural control strategy as do adultsĄŻ [1]. Foudriat et al. [7] revealed that upright postural control in children up to 3 years of age is vision-dominant, but from that age onward, control will be gradually shifted to somatosensory-dominant control. Somatosensory-dominant postural control equivalent to that of adults will be achieved at ages over 6 years, which indicates that the development of standing balance may be nearly completed in the early school years. Morioka [8] has reported that the ability to maintain the one-leg standing position with eyes open will dramatically improve in children within the period from late preschool age to early school age, and the improvement will slow down during late school age. That study indicated that the development of standing balance is nonlinear and that it is accelerated beginning at a certain age. On the other hand, the involutional process of standing balance has been reported to be opposite to the process of developing postural control strategies
%U http://www.hindawi.com/journals/cggr/2012/516283/