Alzheimer's and Balance: How Vision and Hearing Affect Stability
"New research sheds light on how sensory systems impact postural control in Alzheimer's disease, offering insights into fall prevention."
Maintaining balance is something most of us take for granted, but it's a complex process. Our bodies rely on a constant stream of information from our senses – sight, sound, and touch – to stay upright and move with confidence. This information is processed by the central nervous system (CNS), which then coordinates muscle movements to keep us stable.
For individuals with Alzheimer's disease (AD), this intricate system can be disrupted. AD is a neurodegenerative disease that affects cognitive function and motor control. Balance problems and falls are a common and serious concern for people with AD, leading to injuries and reduced quality of life. Researchers are working to understand exactly how AD affects balance and what can be done to help.
A recent study investigated the roles of vision and hearing in postural stability among individuals with AD. By examining how these sensory systems contribute to balance, the researchers hoped to identify potential strategies for improving stability and reducing the risk of falls.
The Broad Burden of Alzheimer’s Disease
The Alzheimer’s Association’s annual Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures report documents the disease’s burden on individuals, caregivers, government, and the U.S. health care system. The 2026 report is described as a statistical resource for U.S. data and covers prevalence, mortality and morbidity, caregiving, the dementia care workforce, and health care use and costs. The 2025 report likewise addresses Alzheimer’s disease prevalence, incidence, mortality, morbidity, care costs, family caregivers, the dementia workforce, and society.
The Role of Vision and Hearing in Postural Stability
The study, led by Miguel F. Gago and colleagues, compared postural stability in 24 patients with AD and 24 healthy, age-matched individuals. Participants underwent kinematic postural analysis, which involved measuring their body's movements using inertial measurement units placed at their center of mass. They were tested under four different conditions:
- Standing with eyes open (EO)
- Standing with eyes closed (EC)
- Standing with eyes open and auditory suppression (EOAS) – using ear defenders to block background noise
- Standing with eyes closed and auditory suppression (ECAS)
- Visual Suppression: In both groups, closing the eyes (visual suppression) had a negative impact on postural stability, increasing sway.
- Auditory Suppression: Blocking background noise, surprisingly, benefited postural stability in both groups.
- Combined Effects: The positive effect of auditory suppression was not enough to compensate for the negative effect of visual suppression, especially in the AD group.
What Recent Research Shows
A systematic review found that both vibratory and acoustic stimulation had positive effects on postural control in healthy people, although more research is needed to align these approaches with traditional methods. Separately, a neuroimaging study of Alzheimer’s disease gait impairment found that amyloid-beta deposition, cognitive impairment, and cortical atrophy had a combined influence on gait. The study reported that more than 80% of observed gait impairments were directly affected by amyloid-beta deposition.
Limits of Current Treatment
A review of Alzheimer’s disease treatment strategies states that many therapeutic approaches have been explored for decades, but there is still no curative treatment. The review identifies prevention as the continuing priority. Another analysis estimated an approximately 0.4 percent clinical development success rate for disease-modifying Alzheimer’s compounds in Phase 2 and Phase 3 trials, based on 244 compounds tested between 2002 and 2012 and a single regulatory approval.
Dementia and Alzheimer’s Compared
Dementia is an umbrella term for symptoms, whereas Alzheimer’s disease is the most common disease that causes dementia. The Alzheimer’s Association reports that Alzheimer’s accounts for 60 to 80 percent of dementia cases. Dementia is caused by damage to brain cells that affects communication and can alter thinking, behavior, and feelings; it is not a normal part of aging.
Implications for Fall Prevention
These findings have important implications for fall prevention strategies in individuals with Alzheimer's disease. By understanding how vision and hearing contribute to balance, healthcare professionals can develop targeted interventions to improve stability and reduce the risk of falls. For example, environmental modifications to reduce background noise or enhance visual cues may be beneficial. Further research is needed to explore the potential of auditory-based interventions, such as auditory biofeedback, to improve balance in individuals with AD.
Balance Across the Alzheimer’s Spectrum
Balance impairments are described as common in people with Alzheimer’s disease dementia. A study of balance and mobility performance examined when these impairments appear along the Alzheimer’s disease spectrum. Another report notes that falling increases dramatically in Alzheimer’s disease and used static and dynamic tests, including the Romberg and Single-Leg Stance tests, to examine balance across disease stages.
A Field in Transition
The Lancet’s 2025 outlook describes controversies and future directions in Alzheimer’s disease and asks why reactions to treatment innovations in dementia have differed from responses in conditions such as multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis. The 2025 NIH Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias Research Progress Report emphasizes that Alzheimer’s and related dementias are complex brain disorders that slowly destroy cognitive functioning, including thinking, memory, and reasoning. The report estimates that 7.1 million Americans are currently living with Alzheimer’s disease.
Beyond the Brain
Recent work proposes reframing Alzheimer’s disease as a systemic disorder rooted in lysosomal and mitochondrial dysfunction rather than solely a brain-confined condition. The Frontiers research topic similarly emphasizes interactions between systemic manifestations and neurodegenerative disease mechanisms. An editorial identifies diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and physical activity as systemic risk factors whose effects over the lifespan may influence brain aging and cognition.
From Trials to Everyday Care
Real-world evidence can complement clinical trials by showing how approved anti-amyloid therapies for early Alzheimer’s disease are used in everyday practice. The cited work identifies low detection rates of mild cognitive impairment, limited long-term safety and effectiveness data, and another gap in Alzheimer’s care as key challenges. Case studies are also presented as tools for understanding disease progression, intervention effectiveness, and the experiences of patients and caregivers.