Scientific article
English

The relationship between hippocampal volume and static postural sway: results from the GAIT study

Published inAGE, vol. 38, no. 1, 19
Publication date2016
Abstract

The role of the hippocampus in postural control, in particular in maintaining upright stance, has not been fully examined in normal aging. This study aims to examine the association of postural sway with hippocampal volume while maintaining upright stance in healthy older individuals. Seventy healthy individuals (mean age 69.7 ± 3.4 years; 41.4 % women) were recruited in this study based on cross-sectional design. Hippocampal volume (quantified from a three-dimensional T1-weighted MRI using semi-automated software), three center of pressure (COP) motion parameters (sway area, path length of anterior-posterior (AP) and medial-lateral (ML) displacement) while maintaining upright stance (eyes open and closed), and the relative difference between open and closed eye conditions were used as outcome measures. Age, sex, body mass index, lower limb proprioception, distance vision, 15-item geriatric depression scale score, total cranial volume, and white matter abnormalities were used as covariates. The sway area decreased from open to closed eye condition but this variation was non-significant (P = 0.244), whereas path length of AP and ML displacement increased significantly (P < 0.003). Increase in sway area from open to closed eyes was associated with greater hippocampal volume (β -18.21; P = 0.044), and a trend for an association of increase in path length of AP displacement (P = 0.075 for open eyes and P = 0.071 for closed eyes) with greater hippocampal volume was reported. The hippocampus is involved in upright postural control in normal aging, such that an increase in sway area of COP motion from open to closed eyes is associated with greater hippocampal volume in healthy older adults.

Keywords
  • Aged
  • Aging/physiology
  • Alzheimer Disease/diagnosis/physiopathology
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Female
  • Gait/physiology
  • Hippocampus/anatomy & histology
  • Humans
  • Imaging
  • Three-Dimensional
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Male
  • Organ Size
  • Postural Balance/physiology
  • Proprioception/physiology
  • Reference Values
Citation (ISO format)
BEAUCHET, Olivier et al. The relationship between hippocampal volume and static postural sway: results from the GAIT study. In: AGE, 2016, vol. 38, n° 1, p. 19. doi: 10.1007/s11357-016-9883-4
Main files (1)
Article (Published version)
accessLevelRestricted
Identifiers
Journal ISSN0161-9152
466views
0downloads

Technical informations

Creation23/08/2017 14:44:00
First validation23/08/2017 14:44:00
Update15/03/2023 02:23:16
Status update15/03/2023 02:23:16
Last indexation31/10/2024 08:38:42
All rights reserved by Archive ouverte UNIGE and the University of GenevaunigeBlack