Save Motion in Elderly: Age Related Changes of Sensorimotor Skills

Fall related injuries in elderly persons represent an enormous challenge to health care policies all over the world. Sequels of falls in elderly may be so momentous that a person concerned may die or suffer from severe disability depending on long-term nursing care. Among the numerous risk factors identified for falls in elderly, impaired sensorimotor functions like impaired muscle functions, postural balance functions and gait functions seem of particular relevance. Sarcopenia refers to a loss of skeletal muscle mass and function that occurs with advancing age. Postural balance functions decrease in the elderly and postural automatic responses following postural perturbations become more complex. Gait performance in elderly becomes less dynamic; stride time and step width vary considerably more than in young people. We recommend to objectively test age related muscle, gait and balance functions in elderly people as these functions, if impaired, may be improved with physical therapies that are administered within rehabilitation or prevention programs.