Ageing shifts postural control toward greater visual reliance

Postural control in upright standing relies on the integration of visual, vestibular, and proprioceptive inputs. Aging is associated with alterations in this multisensory integration, often leading to impaired balance and increased fall risk. A growing body of evidence suggests that older adults exhibit greater reliance on visual information to maintain postural stability. Experimental studies using sensory perturbations indicate that the relative “visual weight” in postural control increases with age, with older individuals showing higher dependence on visual cues compared to younger adults (Neumann et al., 2025). Furthermore, when visual information is manipulated or delayed, older adults demonstrate larger increases in postural sway, suggesting a prioritization of vision even when it is unreliable (Barbanchon & Baudry, 2026). This shift may reflect a compensatory mechanism for age-related declines in proprioceptive and vestibular function, although it may also reduce adaptability in environments where visual input is distorted or absent (Henry & Baudry, 2019). However, findings are not entirely consistent, as some studies report preserved postural performance across visual conditions in healthy, physically active older adults, indicating that sensory reweighting remains flexible under certain conditions. The lecture will present evidence leading to the general idea that ageing is accompanied by a greater reliance to control upright standing. I will also specifically discuss the hypothesis that such a greater reliance reflects compensation to altered proprioceptive inputs. These findings may have potential implications for fall prevention strategies, as a greater reliance on visual inputs might contribute to reduced stability in conditions where visual information is less reliable, or reduce multisensory flexibility.