Electromyography Based Analysis of the Impact of Ageing on Muscle Activation Pattern during Static and Dynamic Balance Control Tasks: A Systematic Review

Abstract

The present systematic review was done, to examine the impact of aging on posture control mechanisms in terms of muscle activity and sway patterns. English language articles describing effects of aging on muscle activation pattern during balance control tasks using electromyography methods published from 2000 to 2019 were identified. Studies were compared with regards to study population, postural tasks, perturbations, muscle inclusion, and outcome measures. All the included studies (N-9) exhibited increased postural sway among elderly in contrast to young population. In contrast, inconsistency was observed in the muscle activation pattern, muscle dependency, and muscle co-contractions among the studies. Altogether, the findings of the review suggest that the aging causes alterations in muscle activity in order to maintain balance during challenging situations; however, the studies do not elucidate these changes across the ages.