Does upper-limb blood flow restriction during arm ergometry improve dual-task postural control and cortico-postural coupling in older adults?
Upper-limb blood flow restriction during arm ergometry acutely improves dual-task postural control and modulates frontal cortico-postural coupling in older adults.
Falls represent a major health concern in older adults, underscoring the need for interventions that enhance postural control. This study investigated whether applying blood flow restriction (BFR) during short-term arm ergometry training improves posture–cognition dual-task performance and adaptive changes in cortical–postural coupling. Twenty-six older adults (12 males, 14 females; 69.1 ± 3.0 years) completed a single 21-minute session of arm ergometry with gender-specific workloads, either combined with BFR at 80% systolic pressure or without restriction (control). Dual-task performance, balance dynamics, and cortico-postural phase–amplitude coupling (PAC) were assessed during concurrent light-pod tapping and stance on an unstable foam surface. Compared with controls, the BFR condition resulted in greater reductions in center of pressure (COP) area (p = 0.002) and velocity (p = 0.003), indicating improved postural control. Stabilogram diffusion analysis further revealed reductions in critical displacement (CD, p 0.05). These findings indicated frequency-specific modulation of cortico–postural coupling associated with upper-limb BFR training. Arm ergometry combined with BFR is associated with improved dual-task postural performance in older adults. These changes were accompanied by frequency-specific modulation of cortico–postural coupling, evident in the theta band at frontal regions. These findings suggest that upper-limb BFR training may represent a feasible and accessible intervention for improving balance under dual-task conditions in aging populations.
Chen et al. (Fri,) studied this question.