Stabilometric, electromyographic, and electroencephalographic parameters in postmenopausal women depend on training support afferentation

Aging, lack of physical activity, and sedentary lifestyle cause disorders of the sensorimotor integration of postural control. The role of support afferentation in changes in the cortical activity in balance impairments has not been studied yet. Changes in the stabilographic (STG) parameters of the body center of gravity, the alpha activity indices of the electroencephalographic (EEG) and electromyographic (EMG) measurements of forehead muscle tone in response to visual activation were studied in standing and sitting positions of postmenopausal women with and without training support afferentation. The variables were compared between three groups: group A ( n = 12; age, 66 ± 9 years), women who have purposely been training support afferentation using Aikido techniques for the last eight years; group F ( n = 12; age, 65 ± 6 years), women who have attended fitness training for the last eight years; group N ( n = 11; age, 66 ± 7 years), women who have not engaged in physical exercises for the last eight years. It was found that in group N, a change in the body position from sitting to standing led to a much greater increase in the area of stabilogram and in the energy spent to maintain the balance than in groups A and F. Postural changes from a sitting to standing position increase the tension of forehead muscles and the suppression of α 1 amplitude, but decrease the EEG high- and low-frequency α-band power and the α-band width in group N. In group F, postural changes do not increase the EMG and EEG signs of activation and tension. In group A, standing is accompanied by a decrease in visual activation, psychoemotional tension, and an increase in the α 2 -band power, which is a sign of neuronal efficiency. A conclusion is reached that training focused on support afferentation in postmenopausal women decreases psychoemotional tension and increases neuronal efficiency of the sensorimotor integration of the postural control system and can be used in the prevention of falls in elderly individuals.