Effect of Aging on Balance Function in Older Adults: A Behavioral Study

Reduced performances of systems that involve in maintaining balance leads to dizziness and imbalance. One method of assessing balance is functional balance tests that are performed by the therapist in the clinics. In this study, we survey the effects of aging on older adults balance performance with the Berg Balance Test and Bruininks-Oseretsky Test-2. Bruininks-Oseretsky Test2 and Berg Balance Scale (BBS) (according to BBS instructions) were conducted on 41 adults aged 60 years and older (with mean age 69.76±0.56 yrs) and 41 young adults ranging in age from 26 to 19 years (with mean age 22.15±0.21 yrs) from both sexes. There was a significant differences noted in the BBS and BOT-2 score among the two groups (p<0.001). The BOT-2 and BBS test scores demonstrated that both tests were appropriate indicators to assess the balance performance and estimate the probability of falling in the elderly person. However, it seems that BOT-2 test had challenging vision and sensory input that provided more detailed information regarding the state of balance. With increasing age, balance function particularly in implementing static balance exercises failed. This study concludes that this information can assist the therapist in selecting additional evaluation tools, and provide counseling for the prevention of falls and balance problems in the elderly person, and can aid the therapist in designing a balance rehabilitation program for the patient.