Abstract
How sensory organization for postural control matures in children is not clear at this time. The present study examined, in children aged 7 to 11 and in adults, the postural control modifications in quiet standing when somatosensory inputs from the ankle were disturbed. Since the reweighting of sensory inputs is not mature before 10, we hypothesized that postural stability was more affected in children than in adults when somatosensory inputs were altered and that this postural instability decreased as age increased during childhood. 37 children aged 7 to 11 years and 9 adults participated in the experiments. The postural task was a semi-tandem position with the right foot in front of the left one. Postural performance was measured by means of a force platform. Two experimental conditions were presented to the participants to maintain quiet standing: With or without altered somatosensory inputs (i.e., with or without ankles vibration). Results showed that postural stability -and thus how the reweighting process of the visual/somatosensory inputs matured- increased non-monotonically between 7 years of age and adult age: There was a linear improvement of postural stability from 7 to 10, followed by a more steady behaviour between 10 and 11 and then postural stability increased to reach the adults' level of performance.
Highlights
Postural control is based on three distinct processes which develop through childhood: (1) a sensory organizational process, in which one or more of the orientation senses are involved and integrated within the Central Nervous System (CNS) [1]; (2) a motor adjustment process, involved in executing coordinated and properly scaled sensorimotor responses [2]; and (3) an internal representation of body scheme that slowly matures during childhood [3], [4]
The present study investigated the contribution of the somatosensory inputs to static postural control during childhood
The period of 7 to 11 years is considered as a critical period [25] in which an improvement of postural stability is observed, resulting from an integration of the reactive and predictive modes of postural control [26], a more coordinated timing of the muscles involved in postural activity [27], a better integration of visual and vestibular information [1], and the occurrence of an adult-like balance control strategy characterized by a head-stabilization-in space strategy, associated with an articulated operation of the head-trunk unit [5]
Summary
Postural control is based on three distinct processes which develop through childhood: (1) a sensory organizational process, in which one or more of the orientation senses (visual, somatosensory and vestibular) are involved and integrated within the Central Nervous System (CNS) [1]; (2) a motor adjustment process, involved in executing coordinated and properly scaled sensorimotor responses [2]; and (3) an internal representation of body scheme that slowly matures during childhood [3], [4]. From tendinous vibration studies in children from 7 to 15 years of age, various authors reported that children show a delay in the maturation of the integration of the proprioceptive cues to improve postural control [9]
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