Analysis of the reaction time and balance between community and institutionalized elderly people

Objective: To compare hip reaction time and postural balance between community-dwelling and institutionalized elderly individuals. Method: We conducted a cross-sectional, controlled study. Thirty-four elderly volunteers were assessed and allocated to two groups: the Community-Dwelling Elderly Group (CDEG) (age= 68.630 ± 5.353 years; BMI= 27.464 ± 3.185 kg/m2) and the Institutionalized Elderly Group (IEG) (age= 72.080 ± 5.123 years; BMI= 26.091 ± 4.189 kg/m2). All participants were evaluated for postural balance using right and left single-leg stance tests, both with and without vision, and hip abduction total reaction time using the PhysioPlay device equipped with the KinectTM sensor (Microsoft, USA). Results: A significant difference between the groups was observed in single-leg stance time with eyes open (Left: p= 0.004; Right: p= 0.001) and with eyes closed (Left: p= 0.044; Right: p= 0.037). The reaction time for hip abduction in both hips did not show significant differences between the groups (p>0.05). Conclusion: The IEG exhibited shorter single-leg support time on both legs compared to the CDEG, no differences in hip abduction reaction time, indicating that reaction time is impaired in both groups.