The Influence of Visual Control on Stabilometric Parameters Depending on Gender and Age

Abstract

Introduction. The increasing maritime activities in Russia require more healthy marine professionals, which is the scope of marine medicine. Objective. To evaluate the influence of visual control on stabilometric parameters in healthy volunteers depending on gender and age. Examined: healthy volunteers in the «free» stand, at a standardized workplace: male, Group 1 (n=31, age 22,0±0,6 years); Group 2 (n=30, age 51,7±2,3 years); female: Group 3 (n=31, age 21,9±0,6 years); Group 4 (n=33, age 49,5±2,2 years). The following parameters have been studied: EllS, mm2; KoefRomb, %; LFS, 1/mm; the quality of equilibrium function — KFR, %; VFY; R, mm; deviation of the center of pressure on the frontal or sagittal planes — Q(x) and Q(y), mm; the coefficient of sharp change in the direction of movement — KRIND, % in the Romberg and Target tests. It has been established that with open eyes, the parameters almost do not depend on age and sex. In the «Target» test, EllS significantly increases only in men and women of the older age group, and with closed eyes, EllS is significantly lower in women than in men. With closed eyes, the KFR values of women in both groups are significantly higher as compared with the corresponding (same age) groups of men. The KFR index in the Target test is significantly higher in young women than in young men. With the vision «turned off», a significant backward shift of the center of gravity has been noticed only in men of the older age group (60,7%) as compared with the corresponding group of women (27,3%). With open eyes, only young men have a reliable maximum KRIND relative to other groups. Evaluation of stabilometric parameters without taking into account the age, sex, visual control can lead to false conclusions when comparing patients with healthy people. It has been found that the visual analyzer and its deprivation significantly affect the whole complex of postural control depending on gender and age.