coyote: vestibular problems are not limited to just the thousands of wobblers. balance issues are of tremendous importance to an aging population. recent surveys in the new york times have shown that the elderly are more afraid of falling than being mugged. doidge: when we walk our brains are very very actively involved in processing us and orienting us. older people will often be watching their feet as they're walking down the stairs and because it's a use it or lose it brain, that may not be the best way to go about things. because as you start to rely more on your vision for balance, you're not using your actual balance system. coyote: as we've seen, plasticity can be used for powerful changes or positive plasticity. sometimes, in the older brain the exact opposite can occur, and we witness the ravages of negative plasticity. merzenich: if i fall when i'm older, and i realize i couldn't stop myself from falling, i'm really worried about that. so what do i do? the first thing i do is i turn my head down, i start watching my feet. that's a very negative step. t