Using autonomic function analysis to assess the impact of clinical fear on the reproducibility of aerobic exercise movements in elderly people with visual impairment

• Published in: Japanese Journal of Public Health Physical Therapy Vol. 4; no. 1; pp. 14 - 22
• Main Author: Kimura, Akira
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Japanese
• Published: Japanese Society of Public Health Physical Therapy 2016; 日本公衆衛生理学療法研究会
• Subjects: aerobic exercise movements; autonomic function analysis; combined factor; elderly people with visual impairment; reliability; 再現性; 有酸素運動; 自律神経機能; 複合要因; 視覚障害を持つ高齢者
• ISSN: 2189-5899
• DOI: 10.24642/jjphpt.4.1_14

Introduction: Although the pervasive comorbidity documented in elderly people with visual impairments may be linked to physical inactivity, little is known regarding the extent to which mobility and health status can be improved among this population. Purpose: The aim of this preliminary research study is to evaluate the feasibility using autonomic function analysis to assess the impact of clinical fear on the reproducibility of aerobic exercise movement in elderly people with visual impairment. Subjects and Method: Methods: During a 24-week period, the autonomic nervous function (LF/HF) during the performance of an aerobic exercise movement and the reproducibility of aerobic exercise movements were measured in 15 elderly people (age = 65 + 15 years) with visual impairments. Following the reproducibility of aerobic exercise movements, participants’ clinical fear as assessed by autonomic function analysis was calculated as the ratio of the integration area between the low-frequency and high-frequency components of sympathetic nervous system activity from the inter-beat (RR) interval in heart rate before the movement. Results: The autonomic nervous function (LF/HF) during the movement can be estimated by a polynomial approximation curve. The LF/HF values can be divided into a medium-frequency range (0.6 ± 0.2). A 95% confidence interval of the estimated values by the exponential model showed significance. Conclusion: Presence of fear has been suggested to affect the learning of aerobics exercise movements in visually impaired elderly people.