Exercise‐linked improvement in age‐associated loss of balance is associated with increased vestibular input to motor neurons

Age‐associated loss of muscle function is exacerbated by a concomitant reduction in balance, leading to gait abnormalities and falls. Even though balance defects can be mitigated by exercise, the underlying neural mechanisms are unknown. We now have investigated components of the proprioceptive and...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Aging cell 2020-12, Vol.19 (12), p.e13274-n/a
Main Authors: Battilana, Fabienne, Steurer, Stefan, Rizzi, Giorgio, Delgado, Ana C., Tan, Kelly R., Handschin, Christoph
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Age
Age groups
Aging
Balance
Exercise
Gait
Health aspects
Morphology
motor control
Motor neurons
Muscle contraction
Neurons
Original
Physical fitness
Posture
Proprioception
proprioceptive system
Sarcopenia
Therapeutic applications
training
Vestibular system
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Summary:Age‐associated loss of muscle function is exacerbated by a concomitant reduction in balance, leading to gait abnormalities and falls. Even though balance defects can be mitigated by exercise, the underlying neural mechanisms are unknown. We now have investigated components of the proprioceptive and vestibular systems in specific motor neuron pools in sedentary and trained old mice, respectively. We observed a strong age‐linked deterioration in both circuits, with a mitigating effect of exercise on vestibular synapse numbers on motor neurons, closely associated with an improvement in gait and balance in old mice. Our results thus describe how the proprioceptive and vestibular systems are modulated by age and exercise, and how these changes affect their input to motor neurons. These findings not only make a strong case for exercise‐based interventions in elderly individuals to improve balance, but could also lead to targeted therapeutic interventions aimed at the respective neuronal circuitry. Aging results in the degeneration of proprioceptive and vestibular wiring, associated with abnormalities in gait and balance. Exercise improves vestibular connectivity to specific motor neuron pools, and restores gait and balance.
ISSN:1474-9718
1474-9726
DOI:10.1111/acel.13274