Larger center of pressure minus center of gravity in the elderly induces larger body acceleration during quiet standing

When an inverted pendulum approximates quiet standing, it is assumed that the distance between the center of pressure and the vertical projection of the center of mass on the ground (COP-COG) reflects the relationship between the controlling and controlled variables of the balance control mechanism, and that the center of mass acceleration (ACC) is proportional to COP-COG. As aging affects the control mechanism of balance during quiet standing, COP-COG must be influenced by aging and, as a result, ACC is influenced by aging as well. The purpose of this study was to test the hypotheses that aging results in an increased COP-COG amplitude and, as a consequence, that ACC becomes larger in the elderly than the young. Fifteen elderly and 11 young subjects stood quietly on a force platform with their eyes open or closed. We found that (1) the standard deviations of COP-COG and ACC were larger in the elderly than in the young, irrespective of the eye condition; (2) COP-COG is proportional to ACC in both age groups, i.e., the inverted pendulum assumption holds true for quiet standing. The results suggest that a change in the control strategy that is due to aging causes a larger COP-COG in the elderly and, as a consequence, that ACC becomes larger as well.