Characteristics Of Postural Control Research Articles

Golf shot performance analysis: the effects of ground slope on weight transfer and shot characteristics

ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to examine the elite golf players’ centre of force (COF) displacements and golf shot performance during golf shots on three different ground inclinations. Twenty elite golf players were asked to hit golf shots on flat surface, 10° uphill and 10° ball above feet using their six irons. COF displacements (TekScan MatScan® force platform) and golf shot performance (TrackMan® golf radar system) were analysed. In this study, golf players’ weight transfer was similar in each shot (p > 0.05), except higher A-P sway during the ball above feet golf shots (p < 0.05). Reduced control of balance during shots from ball above feet resulted in shorter shot length than flat surface, even if the angles of attacks were similar (p < 0.05). In addition, increased COF distance during flat ground and ball above feet golf shots improved clubhead speed and shot length (p < 0.05). These results show that ball above feet slope condition, rather than uphill, alters postural control and golf swing characteristics. In order to improve the performance of these shots, it is recommended to add balance training and weight transfer techniques in A-P direction to the training programmes.

Statokinetic stability in athletes of different nosological groups

Relevance: Researchers have shown that the characteristics of postural control in open-eyed children with visual impairment were higher than in sighted children, and these data are also associated with physical activity in their free time and the age at which they started playing sports. It is possible that people with visual or hearing impairments are more effective at maintaining balance, which may explain why they achieve similar or better results in posture control tasks compared to their normally developed peers.The aim of the study is to study the features of the statokinetic stability of athletes of three nosological groups: with hearing impairment, with visual impairment and with intellectual disabilities.Methods and organization of research. The method of stabilometry was used: the ST-150 stability platform and the STPL program. The area of the statokinesiogram (S, mm2); the average velocity of displacement of the pressure center (V, mm/s) and the energy consumption coefficient (Ke, conl. units) were studied.The results of the study and their discussion. When analyzing intra-group changes in athletes with hearing impairment, a significant deterioration in the function of static equilibrium was found in the test with closed eyes, which is typical for athletes with intellectual disabilities, but the results in the test with open eyes in these athletes are significantly better than in athletes with hearing impairment. Athletes with hearing impairment and athletes with intellectual disabilities have a pronounced forward asymmetry. In the sagittal plane, athletes with visual impairment have a pronounced asymmetry to the left. Normally balanced control revailed among athletes with hearing impairment. Normally balanced and proprioceptive control was revealed in athletes with visual impairment. Visual control prevailed among athletes with intellectual disabilities. The best statistical stability was revealed in athletes with intellectual disabilities, compared with athletes of the studied nosologies.Conclusions. Thus, the features of the statokinetic stability of athletes with hearing impairment, visual impairment and intellectual disabilities were revealed.

Postural control characteristics of breast cancer (BC) survivors with chronic chemotherapy-induced neuropathy (CIN)

Postural control characteristics of breast cancer (BC) survivors with chronic chemotherapy-induced neuropathy (CIN)

Postural Control Characteristics in Alzheimer's Disease, Dementia With Lewy Bodies, and Vascular Dementia.

Dementia often results in postural control impairment, which could signify central nervous system dysfunction. However, no studies have compared postural control characteristics among various types of dementia. This study aimed to compare static postural control in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD), dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), and vascular dementia (VaD). Cross-sectional relationship between the clinical diagnoses (AD, DLB, VaD, or normal cognition [NC]) of outpatients at a memory clinic and their upright postural control characteristics were examined. In the postural control test, participants were instructed to maintain a static upright standing on a stabilometer for 60 seconds under the eyes-open and eyes-closed conditions. Forty postural control parameters, including distance, position, and velocity in the anterior-posterior and medio-lateral directions, derived from the trajectory of the center of mass sway, were calculated. The characteristics of each type of dementia were compared to those of NC, and the differences among the 3 types of dementia were evaluated using linear regression models. The study included 1789 participants (1206 with AD, 111 with DLB, 49 with VaD, and 423 with NC). Patients with AD exhibited distinct postural control characteristics, particularly in some distance and velocity parameters, only in the eyes-closed condition. Those with DLB exhibited features in the mean position in the anterior-posterior direction. In patients with VaD, significant differences were observed in most parameters, except the power spectrum. Patients with AD, DLB, and VaD display disease-specific postural control characteristics when compared to cognitively normal individuals.

Relationship between Car-Sickness Susceptibility and Postural Activity: Could the Re-Weighting Strategy between Signals from Different Body Sensors Be an Underlying Factor?

Postural control characteristics have been proposed as a predictor of Motion Sickness (MS). However, postural adaptation to sensory environment changes may also be critical for MS susceptibility. In order to address this issue, a postural paradigm was used where accurate orientation information from body sensors could be lost and restored, allowing us to infer sensory re-weighting dynamics from postural oscillation spectra in relation to car-sickness susceptibility. Seventy-one participants were standing on a platform (eyes closed) alternating from static phases (proprioceptive and vestibular sensors providing reliable orientation cues) to sway referenced to the ankle-angle phases (proprioceptive sensors providing unreliable orientation cues). The power spectrum density (PSD) on a 10 s sliding window was computed from the antero-posterior displacement of the center of pressure. Energy ratios (ERs) between the high (0.7-1.3 Hz) and low (0.1-0.7 Hz) frequency bands of these PSDs were computed on key time windows. Results showed no difference between MS and non-MS participants following loss of relevant ankle proprioception. However, the reintroduction of reliable ankle signals led, for the non-MS participants, to an increase of the ER originating from a previously up-weighted vestibular information during the sway-referenced situation. This suggests inter-individual differences in re-weighting dynamics in relation to car-sickness susceptibility.

Influence of age on static postural control in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a cross-sectional study.

It was the aim of this study to assess static postural control characteristics in people with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) of different ages using a force platform. A relationship was also established between static postural control parameters and age in this study. A total of 706 participants with T2D were included in this study. The participants were stratified into three age groups: Group 1 (<60 years old), Group 2 (60-70 years old), and Group 3 (>70 years old). Static postural control assessment during two-leg stance was performed on a force platform by all participants. The center of pressure (CoP)-related parameters were measured under two stance conditions (eyes open and closed). Kruskal-Wallis tests were applied to explore the difference among the different age groups. Multivariate regression analysis was performed to determine the relation between age and static postural control parameters. Group 1 (<60 years old) had significantly less CoP total tracking length (TTL), sway area (SA), and CoP velocity along the Y direction (V-Y) under both eyes-open and eyes-closed conditions compared with Group 2 (60-70 years old) and Group 3 (>70 years old). Group 1 (<60 years old) had significantly less CoP maximum sway length along the X direction (MSL_X) and longer tracking length each area unit (TTL/SA) under the eyes-open condition compared with Group 2 (60-70 years old) and Group 3 (>70 years old). There was a significantly positive correlation between age and the most static postural parameters such as CoP TTL, SA, MSL-X, MSL-Y, and V-Y. There was a significantly negative correlation between age and TTL/SA. This study suggested that older T2D participants had worse static postural control ability than younger ones. Most static postural parameters presented a significant correlation with age; the higher the age, the worse the static postural control.

Effects of expertise in skill-oriented sports on postural control: An event-related potential study using dual-task paradigm

Postural control is a fundamental aspect of motor skills and is crucial for achieving optimal performance in sports. However, previous studies mainly explored the postural control ability of athletes of skill-oriented sports (skilled athletes) under single postural control conditions, disregarding the processing characteristics of postural control in real sports scenarios. This research used the event-related potential (ERP) to investigate the postural control ability of skilled athletes during the action inhibition process by a dual-task paradigm. The study included 26 skilled athletes and 25 nonathletes who simultaneously completed a postural control task and a Go/Nogo task. The results showed that skilled athletes exhibited superior postural control performance in all three standing positions and higher N1 and P3 component amplitudes than nonathletes. The study illustrated that skilled athletes exhibit higher flexibility in allocating attentional resources to ensure optimal postural control and action inhibition performance. These findings suggest that skilled athletes possess a higher level of control automation in complex standing positions and more efficient and economical brain processing characteristics, which may contribute to their exceptional performance in sports.

The Differences in Transient Characteristics of Postural Control between Young and Older Adults across Four Different Postural Tasks

Recently, the transient characteristics of postural sway have been suggested as an alternative or an improvement to traditional whole-trial analyses, possibly reflecting the sensory reweighing process. The purpose of this study was to assess if the transient characteristics of postural sway are sensitive to age and postural tasks. Twenty young adults (18–27 years old) and fifteen older adults (67–80 years old) performed parallel (eyes open and eyes closed), tandem and single-leg postural tasks for 30 s. Centre of pressure (CoP) velocity, amplitude and frequency were derived from force plate data. In addition to whole-trial estimates, we calculated the relative differences between the 1st and the 2nd (DIF_21) and the 1st and the 3rd (DIF_31) 10 s time intervals. Postural sway increased with the difficulty of the task, and the increase was more pronounced in the older adult group (p &lt; 0.001; η2 = 0.31–0.38 for group × task interactions). Large and statistically significant age × task interactions were shown for both DIF_21 and DIF_31 for CoP anterior–posterior frequency (p &lt; 0.001; η2 = 0.17–0.18). Possible age differences were also indicated for the transient response in CoP medial–lateral velocity in the parallel stance task. Specifically, we found an exaggerated transient response (i.e., relatively higher COP velocity in the first 10 s) in older adults compared to young adults when visual information was restored during the parallel quiet stance. This study shows the potential for an application of measures of the transient behavior of postural sway after the removal or restoration of visual information.

Gait and Postural Control Characteristics among Individuals with Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo: A Scoping Review

Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) is a common peripheral vestibular disorder. Besides vertigo, unsteadiness is a common subjective complaint. This study aims to gain an overview of gait and postural control changes among individuals with BPPV compared to healthy individuals. Relevant case-control studies were searched from their inception until April 2020 using the Scopus, Web of Science and Science Direct databases. Two independent reviewers assessed the methodological quality using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) for case-control studies. A total of 15 studies which satisfied the eligibility criteria were included. The findings suggest evidence of gait and postural control alteration characterized by slower gait speed, reduced gait velocity, increased anterior-posterior centre of pressure, and increased sway velocity compared to controls. Individuals with BPPV showed evidence of gait and postural control alteration. Future exploration on this issue is vital to support gait and postural control alteration among individuals with BPPV.

Influence of serial subtraction tasks on transient characteristics of postural control

Influence of serial subtraction tasks on transient characteristics of postural control

Influence of serial subtraction tasks on transient characteristics of postural control.

We sought to better understand the influence of cognitive perturbations on transient aspects of postural control. Twenty healthy, younger adults had their postural control assessed during eyes open quiet stance. Participants completed three different conditions that either had no cognitive perturbation present, an easy cognitive perturbation (i.e., serial subtraction by ones), or a more difficult cognitive perturbation (i.e., serial subtraction by sevens). All trials finished with 60s of undisturbed eyes open quiet stance, which was the focus of the balance assessment. 95% confidence ellipse area (EA) was calculated for 5-s epochs throughout the trial. The difference in EA from the first epoch after participants started (onset) or stopped (offset) the cognitive task to the last epoch of the trial (i.e., 55-60s after perturbation) was used to characterize transient postural control behavior. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy was also used to quantify changes in prefrontal cortex activation during the counting tasks to support interpretation of the transient balance findings. There was a significant effect of condition for transient balance characteristics following a cognitive perturbation (P<0.001), with greater transient increases in postural sway for both difficult (Cohen's d=0.40, P<0.001) and easier (Cohen's d=0.29, P=0.013) cognitive perturbations relative to no cognitive perturbation. The onset of cognitive tasks was also associated with greater transient increases in postural sway than the offset of the cognitive tasks (Cohen's d=0.24, P=0.019). The functional near-infrared spectroscopy data indicated that a significant decrease in deoxygenated hemoglobin was observed for left Brodmann area 46 for both the subtraction by ones (T=-3.97; Benjamini-Hochberg significance value (q)=0.008) and subtraction by sevens (T=-3.11; q=0.036) conditions relative to the baseline condition. The subtraction by sevens condition was also associated with a relative increase in deoxygenated hemoglobin for the right Brodmann area 9 (T=3.36; q=0.026) compared to the subtraction by ones condition. In conclusion, serial subtraction can elicit transient increases in postural sway, with more difficult tasks and the onset of the cognitive-motor challenge exhibiting magnified effects. Additionally, even the cessation of a cognitive task (i.e., serial subtraction) can be associated with lingering perturbing effects on balance control.

Characteristics of postural control during fixed light-touch and interpersonal light-touch contact and the involvement of interpersonal postural coordination.

Haptic feedback by light touch with a fingertip influences the postural control of the human body by postural orientation. Postural control might therefore differ depending on the characteristics of the contacting object. The main experimental targets of contact have been a fixed object (fixed light touch: FLT) and an individual (interpersonal light touch: ILT), but the postural control characteristics of FLT and ILT have not been directly compared within the same study. Nor has there been a study comparing frequency characteristics in these conditions. We hypothesized that (1) the frequency of postural sway would be higher in FLT and that no such change would be observed in ILT, and (2) the interpersonal postural coordination that is specific to ILT, i.e., sway that resembles the other person's sway, would be observed in the low-frequency component (≤0.4 Hz) rather than the high-frequency component (>0.4 Hz). We applied a closed-eyes tandem stance by adult subjects as the standard condition, and the center of pressure was measured when they performed four standing conditions: no-touch, FLT, stable ILT with a bipedal partner, and unstable ILT with a tandem partner. The results demonstrated that the FLT condition and both the stable and unstable ILT conditions also stabilized the posture, but the stability was superior in the FLT condition. Further, the difference in postural stability depending on the axis is not clear in any conditions for velocity, whereas for amplitude, stabilization by contact is more easily captured in the medio-lateral (ML) axis than in the anterior-posterior (AP) axis. The mean power frequency (MPF) in the FLT condition was higher than the no-touch condition, and the stable ILT condition in the ML axis and was higher than any other conditions in the AP axis. Moreover, the stable ILT condition in both axes was not significantly different from the no-touch condition. The unstable ILT condition in the AP axis was also not significantly different, though the ML axis was higher than the no-touch condition. The interpersonal postural coordination in both the stable and unstable ILT conditions was observed in the low-frequency component (except for the ML axis of the unstable ILT condition) and not in the high-frequency component. These results support our hypotheses and suggest that although FLT and ILT exert effects on reducing postural sway to some certain extent, in actuality, these conditions result in different postural controls in the frequency domain due to postural coordination based on the low-frequency component.

Motor learning on postural control using auditory biofeedback training

Motor disorders are characterised by damage to the central nervous system, which subsequently affects muscles, motor skills and brain function. People with motor disorders can suffer injury as a result of falls and recovery from falls can be challenging. Augmented biofeedback modalities is an important tool used in physical therapy, providing individuals with biofeedback that helps guide them through the therapy. Biofeedback modalities have been designed for most of our senses, including auditory, visual and haptic and advances in technology have meant that biofeedback therapy can make use of wearable technology and future advances are expected to further assist. Therefore, it will be key to determine which biofeedback method works best for different training exercises and conditions in order to maximise the benefits of technological advances. Dr Naoya Hasegawa and Professor Tadayoshi Asaka are investigating which biofeedback method works best for different therapies. Their goal is to understand the characteristics of sensory modalities used for biofeedback training in order to help physical therapists determine appropriate approaches for different individuals. The researchers are currently investigating postural control with a view to defining the characteristics of postural control during walking and standing and developing new methods to enhance or improve it. This work involves the use of force plates, 3D motion analysis systems and electromyograms.

Alterations in mechanical muscle characteristics and postural control induced by tennis match-play in young players.

BackgroundCentral and peripheric fatigue indicators are among the main reasons for performance decline following competition. Because of the impact of these factors on performance, how these variables are affected by match-play could be of interest, especially in young tennis players.ObjectiveThis study aimed to investigate alterations induced by a simulated tennis match on postural control and muscle characteristics in young tennis players.MethodSeventeen male junior players took part in pre- and post-competition testing sessions performing postural control (displacement, speed and surface area of center of pressures) and muscle characteristics measurements (tone, stiffness, time to relaxation and elasticity). Between trials, participants played an 80-min simulated tennis match.ResultsNo significant differences were observed in any of the tested variables. Moderate-to-large effect sizes (ES) for decreased stiffness and tone and greater time to relaxation were found between pre- and post-conditions in the right rectus abdominis (−9.8%, −4.4% and 7.8%; ES = 0.8, 0.54 and −0.85). Also, a decrease in tone was found in the right vastus medialis (−7.1%; ES = 0.56), while surface area of the center of pressures with eyes open showed trends towards increasing in post-match measurements (55.9%; ES = 0.56).ConclusionAn 80-min simulated tennis match seems insufficient to elicit significant changes in postural control and mechanical muscle characteristics. Results suggest that physiological responses triggered by match-play were closer to those seen after a moderate activity than those present following a strenuous task.

Preliminary Study on the Postural Control Characteristics of Subjects Effected by a Plantar Perception Task

Preliminary Study on the Postural Control Characteristics of Subjects Effected by a Plantar Perception Task

A new perspective on transient characteristics of quiet stance postural control.

Postural control provides insight into health concerns such as fall risk but remains relatively untapped as a vital sign of health. One understudied aspect of postural control involves transient responses within center of pressure (CoP) data to events such as vision occlusion. Such responses are masked by common whole-trial analyses. We hypothesized that the transient behavior of postural control would yield unique and clinically-relevant information for quiet stance compared to traditionally calculated whole-trial CoP estimates. Three experiments were conducted to test different aspects of this central hypothesis. To test whether transient, epoch-based characteristics of CoP estimates provide different information than traditional whole-trial estimates, we investigated correlations between these estimates for a population of young adults performing three 60-second trials of quiet stance with eyes closed. Next, to test if transient behavior is a result of sensory reweighting after eye closure, we compared transient characteristics between eyes closed and eyes open conditions. Finally, to test if there was an effect of age on transient behavior, we compared transient characteristics during eyes closed stance between populations of young and older adults. Negligible correlations were found between transient characteristics and whole-trial estimates (p>0.08), demonstrating limited overlap in information between them. Additionally, transient behavior was exaggerated during eyes closed stance relative to eyes open (p<0.044). Lastly, we found that transient characteristics were able to distinguish between younger and older adults, supporting their clinical relevance (p<0.029). An epoch-based approach captured unique and potentially clinically-relevant postural control information compared to whole-trial estimates. While longer trials may improve the reliability of whole-trial estimates, including a complementary assessment of the initial transient characteristics may provide a more comprehensive characterization of postural control.

Characteristics of medial-lateral postural control while exposed to the external perturbation in step initiation

Controllability of posture in the medial-lateral direction is critical for balance maintenance, particularly in step initiation. The objective of the current study was to examine the effects of external perturbation and landing orientation on medial-lateral control stability in step initiation. Eleven young healthy participants stood on the force platform and waited for the instruction of taking a step while experiencing a pendulum perturbation applied at the lateral side of the right shoulder. Eight experimental conditions were conducted by two levels of step side (right or left), two levels of perturbation (with or without), and two levels of landing orientation (forward or diagonal). The center of pressure (COP), pelvic movements, and muscle activities were recorded and analyzed as the onset of COP and pelvic movement, the COP displacement, and cocontraction and reciprocal muscle activation pattern. The temporal events of COP and pelvic movement were not significantly different in all experimental conditions. However, COP and pelvic movement were significantly later in the diagonal condition. Most of the segments showed reciprocal muscle activation patterns in relation to the perturbation released time. Subsequently, all segments showed cocontraction muscle activation patterns, which was significantly affected by step side, perturbation, and orientation. The results suggest that how the CNS initiated a step was identical with the COP then pelvic movement. The outcome highlights the importance of external perturbation and foot landing orientation effects on postural adjustments, which may provide a different approach to help step initiation.

Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder, Developmental Coordination Disorder, and typical development differ in characteristics of dynamic postural control: A preliminary study

BackgroundAutism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) are developmental disorders with distinct definitions and symptoms. However, both conditions share difficulties with motor skills, including impairments in postural control. While studies have explored postural sway variables in children with DCD and ASD as compared to typical development (TD), few have used kinematic data to assess the magnitude of differences between these two neurodevelopmental conditions. There are few sensitive and specific measures available to assess balance impairment severity in these populations. Research questionDo individuals with ASD, DCD, and TD differ in dynamic postural control? MethodsWe quantified postural control differences between ASD, DCD, and TD during a dynamic balance task. 10 ASD, 10 DCD, and 8 TD agematched children completed a dynamic postural control task in a virtual environment. They leaned to shift their center of pressure (CoP) to match a user-controlled object to an oscillating target (0.1 Hz–0.8 Hz). ResultsThe DCD group had higher CoP accelerations compared to ASD or TD. While the DCD and TD groups did not differ in their medial-lateral velocity, the ASD group had low medial-lateral velocity and acceleration as compared to DCD and TD. ASD group velocity and acceleration did not differ from that of the TD group in the anterior-posterior direction. Higher accelerations in the DCD group reflected non-fluid movements; by contrast, the ASD group had slower, more fluid movements. Results may reflect differences in how children with ASD and DCD plan, execute, and modify motor actions. SignificanceThis study demonstrates the potential utility of CoP acceleration and velocity as a sensitive and specific means of differentiating between ASD, DCD, and TD. Results indicating group differences between ASD and DCD in velocity and acceleration profiles represent an important step toward understanding how these populations modify motor plans during dynamic tasks.

Changes of spatial and temporal characteristics of dynamic postural control in children with typical neurodevelopment with age: Results of a multicenter pediatric study

BackgroundThe aim of this multicenter study is to investigate the effect of chronological age and gender in postural control. MethodsTo approach an ecological model, we used a multicenter posturography assessment. We analyzed postural control with surface, mean velocity of center of pressure [CoP] and temporal analysis, with Postural Instability Index [PII] being a more sensitive parameter in postural evaluation. A large sample of 156 age- and gender-matched healthy children recruited in several pediatrics hospitals, participated. ResultsOur current results showed a significant decrease of all postural parameters (surface, mean velocity of CoP and PII) with age, and only on stable support condition. Our study additionally described a gender effect in conditions where all sensory inputs are most challenged with a mean velocity of CoP being significantly smaller in girls with respect to boys. ConclusionWe concluded that postural control improves with age linked with maturation process. Moreover, this maturation process seems not yet achieved at 16.08 years and still ongoing beyond. Interestingly, our result reported specificities linked with gender effect. Indeed, girls and boys do not proceed in the same way to maintain their postural control. We could make hypothesis that more children maintain their postural control efficiently; with a low energy cost, the more they could allocate attention to learning during childhood.

Kinematic, kinetic, and electromyographic characteristics during quiet standing on a balance exercise assist robot.

[Purpose] The balance exercise assist robot is a training device based on a personal transport assistance robot ridden in the standing position. The personal transport assistance robot uses an inverted pendulum control system and moves in response to movements of the user’s center of gravity. The purpose of this study was to describe the characteristics of postural control during the action of stopping the personal transport assistance robot. [Participants and Methods] Eleven healthy male participants were required to maintain a standing position for 30 s; each task was performed 10 times. The measurement conditions were as follows: (1) on the floor; (2) on the robot, touching the handlebars; and (3) on the robot, not touching the handlebars. [Results] During the robotic tasks, the total locus lengths of the center of gravity and total joint momentums of the hip, knee, and ankle joints were larger, and the amount of displacement of the center of pressure was smaller than that during the floor task. Posture control on the robot was performed actively by mechanical interaction of the ankle, knee, and hip joints within a small base of support. [Conclusion] The balance exercise assist robot can be useful for postural control exercises because maintaining a standing position on the personal transport assistance robot required active postural control.