scholarly journals Impact of Canal-Otolith Integration on Postural Control

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew R. Wagner ◽  
Megan J. Kobel ◽  
Daniel M. Merfeld
Keyword(s):  
Postural Control ◽  
Postural Sway ◽  
Center Of Pressure ◽  
Temporal Integration ◽  
Quiet Stance ◽  
Balance Performance ◽  
Healthy Older Adults ◽  
Eyes Closed ◽  
Multivariable Regression ◽  
Roll Tilt

Roll tilt vestibular perceptual thresholds, an assay of vestibular noise, have recently been shown to be associated with suboptimal balance performance in healthy older adults. However, despite the strength of this correlation, the use of a categorical (i.e., pass/fail) balance assessment limits insight into the impacts of vestibular noise on postural sway. As a result, an explanation for this correlation has yet to be determined. We hypothesized that the correlation between roll tilt vestibular thresholds and postural control reflects a shared influence of sensory noise. To address this hypothesis, we measured roll tilt perceptual thresholds at multiple frequencies (0.2 Hz, 0.5 Hz, 1 Hz) and compared each threshold to quantitative measures of quiet stance postural control in 33 healthy young adults (mean = 24.9 years, SD = 3.67). Our data showed a significant linear association between 0.5 Hz roll tilt thresholds and the root mean square distance (RMSD) of the center of pressure in the mediolateral (ML; β = 5.31, p = 0.002, 95% CI = 2.1–8.5) but not anteroposterior (AP; β = 5.13, p = 0.016, 95% CI = 1.03–9.23) direction (Bonferroni corrected α of 0.006). In contrast, vestibular thresholds measured at 0.2 Hz and 1 Hz did not show a significant correlation with ML or AP RMSD. In a multivariable regression model, controlling for both 0.2 Hz and 1 Hz thresholds, the significant effect of 0.5 Hz roll tilt thresholds persisted (β = 5.44, p = 0.029, CI = 0.60–10.28), suggesting that the effect cannot be explained by elements shared by vestibular thresholds measured at the three frequencies. These data suggest that vestibular noise is significantly associated with the temporospatial control of quiet stance in the mediolateral plane when visual and proprioceptive cues are degraded (i.e., eyes closed, standing on foam). Furthermore, the selective association of quiet-stance sway with 0.5 Hz roll tilt thresholds, but not thresholds measured at lower (0.2 Hz) or higher (1.0 Hz) frequencies, may reflect the influence of noise that results from the temporal integration of noisy canal and otolith cues.

scholarly journals Increased static postural sway after energy drink consumption: A randomized trial

F1000Research ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. 2036
Author(s):  
Martin G. Rosario ◽  
Henry Collazo ◽  
Milagros Mateo ◽  
Maryví Gonzalez-Sola ◽  
Flavia Bayron
Keyword(s):  
Postural Control ◽  
Postural Sway ◽  
Center Of Pressure ◽  
Energy Drinks ◽  
Energy Drink ◽  
The United States ◽  
General Tendency ◽  
Postural Perturbation ◽  
Eyes Closed ◽  
The Central Nervous System

Background: Energy drinks consumption continues to grow since its appearance in the United States in 1997. Available evidence indicates that caffeine, their main ingredient, can alter the central nervous system (CNS). However, it is unknown how energy drinks alter the CNS postural control mechanism. The purpose of this study was to investigate how energy drinks can affect postural control after sensory perturbations during stance. Methods: 20 healthy adults, (11 males; 9 females) averaging 26.1 years of age, stood on a MatScan™ pressure mat, which measured center of pressure (CoP), anteroposterior (AP) and mediolateral (ML) postural sways during eight different balance tests (BALT’s). BALT's were designed to alter or cancel the systems involved in postural control: visual, vestibular and somatosensory. Subjects were randomly assigned to a caffeine group and an energy drink group. MANOVA analysis was performed for all variables of interest. Results: In the caffeine group, the AP sway of the Eyes Closed test on a stable surface was statistically significant. In the energy drinks group, we observed a general tendency of participants to increase CoP slightly, AP and ML sway in most of the BALT’s after the consumption of an energy drink. However, this increase was not statistically significant. These results suggest that in healthy young adults, the sensory re-weighting mechanism can overcome postural perturbation and maintain overall postural control. Conclusions: We observed an overall tendency to increase postural instability after the ingestion of energy drinks.

Changes in Posture Following a Single Session of Long-Duration Water Immersion

2018 ◽  
Vol 34 (6) ◽  
pp. 435-441
Author(s):  
Stephen M. Glass ◽  
Christopher K. Rhea ◽  
Matthew W. Wittstein ◽  
Scott E. Ross ◽  
John P. Florian ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Postural Control ◽  
Postural Sway ◽  
Center Of Pressure ◽  
Water Immersion ◽  
Specific Pattern ◽  
Eyes Closed ◽  
Stable Surface ◽  
Visual Inputs ◽  
Long Duration ◽  
Eyes Open

Transitioning between different sensory environments is known to affect sensorimotor function and postural control. Water immersion presents a novel environmental stimulus common to many professional and recreational pursuits, but is not well-studied with regard to its sensorimotor effects upon transitioning back to land. The authors investigated the effects of long-duration water immersion on terrestrial postural control outcomes in veteran divers. Eleven healthy men completed a 6-hour thermoneutral pool dive (4.57 m) breathing diver air. Center of pressure was observed before and 15 minutes after the dive under 4 conditions: (1) eyes open/stable surface (Open-Stable); (2) eyes open/foam surface (Open-Foam); (3) eyes closed/stable surface (Closed-Stable); and (4) eyes closed/foam surface (Closed-Foam). Postdive decreases in postural sway were observed in all testing conditions except for Open-Stable. The specific pattern of center of pressure changes in the postdive window is consistent with (1) a stiffening/overregulation of the ankle strategy during Open-Foam, Closed-Stable, and Closed-Foam or (2) acute upweighting of vestibular input along with downweighting of somatosensory, proprioceptive, and visual inputs. Thus, our findings suggest that postimmersion decreases in postural sway may have been driven by changes in weighting of sensory inputs and associated changes in balance strategy following adaptation to the aquatic environment.

Surface height effects on postural control: A hypothesis for a stiffness strategy for stance*

1999 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 277-286 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark G. Carpenter ◽  
James S. Frank ◽  
Cathy P. Silcher
Keyword(s):  
Postural Control ◽  
Center Of Pressure ◽  
High Surface ◽  
Quiet Standing ◽  
Vestibular Input ◽  
Mean Power ◽  
Mean Power Frequency ◽  
Balance Confidence ◽  
Eyes Closed ◽  
Ankle Stiffness

One possible factor influencing the control of upright stance is the perceived threat to one's personal safety, i.e. balance confidence. We explored this factor by examining the control of stationary stance when standing on an elevated platform under various conditions of reduced visual and vestibular inputs. Twenty-eight adults (14 male and 14 female, mean age = 23.5 years) participated in the experiment. Postural control was examined by recording the amplitude variability (RMS) and mean power frequency (MPF) of center of pressure excursions (COP) over a 2-minute interval while participants stood in a normal stance on a low (0.19 m) and a high (0.81 m) platform with toes positioned either at or away from the edge of the platform. Vision was manipulated through eyes open and eyes closed trials. Vestibular input was reduced by tilting the head into extension [1]. Anterior-posterior RMS and MPF of COP were significantly influenced by an interaction between surface height and vision. When vision was available, a significant decrease in RMS was observed during quiet standing on a high surface compared to a low surface independent of step restriction. When vision was available MPF increased when subjects were raised from a low to a high surface. The mean position of the COP was significantly influenced by an interaction between height and step restriction. Differences in RMS and MPF responses to height manipulation were observed between genders in eyes closed conditions. Vestibular input influenced postural control at both low and high levels with significant increases in RMS when vestibular input was reduced. The reciprocal changes observed in RMS and MPF suggest modifications to postural control through changes in ankle stiffness. Vision appears to play a role in increasing ankle stiffness when balance confidence is compromised.

scholarly journals Maximal stability limits in adolescents with Tourette syndrome

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 013-022
Author(s):  
Blanchet Mariève ◽  
Prince François ◽  
Lemay Martin ◽  
Chouinard Sylvain ◽  
Messier Julie
Keyword(s):  
Postural Control ◽  
Tourette Syndrome ◽  
Center Of Pressure ◽  
Phase 1 ◽  
Sensory Information ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Eyes Closed ◽  
Highly Sensitive ◽  
Eyes Open ◽  
Stability Limits

We explored if adolescents with Gilles de la Tourette syndrome (GTS) had functional postural control impairments and how these deficits are linked to a disturbance in the processing and integration of sensory information. We evaluated the displacements of the center of pressure (COP) during maximal leaning in four directions (forward, backward, rightward, leftward) and under three sensory conditions (eyes open, eyes closed, eyes closed standing on foam). GTS adolescents showed deficits in postural stability and in lateral postural adjustments but they had similar maximal COP excursion than the control group. The postural performance of the GTS group was poorer in the eyes open condition (time to phase 1 onset, max-mean COP). Moreover, they displayed a poorer ability to maintain the maximum leaning position under the eyes open condition during mediolateral leaning tasks. By contrast, during forward leaning, they showed larger min-max ranges than control subjects while standing on the foam with the eyes closed. Together, these findings support the idea that GTS produces subclinical postural control deficits. Importantly, our results suggest that postural control disorders in GTS are highly sensitive to voluntary postural leaning tasks which have high demand for multimodal sensory integration.

scholarly journals Influence of gender and physical exercise on balance of healthy young adults

2014 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 399-406 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarina Francescato Torres ◽  
Júlia Guimarães Reis ◽  
Daniela Cristina Carvalho de Abreu
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Energy Expenditure ◽  
Postural Control ◽  
Postural Sway ◽  
Short Form ◽  
Quiet Standing ◽  
Moderate Activity ◽  
Men And Women ◽  
Eyes Closed ◽  
Sedentary Women

Objective To verify the effects of gender and physical activity on postural sway. Method A cross-sectional study was conducted to analyze upright balance of young men and women between the ages of 20-30, both active and sedentary. Study participants were 60 individuals, who were divided into: active women (n = 15), sedentary women (n = 15), active men (n = 15) and sedentary men (n = 15). The International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) short form, was used to evaluate each participant’s level of physical activity. According to the questionnaire, active individuals are those who carry out moderate activity, with an energy expenditure between 3.5 and 6 METs (1 MET: 3.5 ml/kg/min), or vigorous activity, with an energy expenditure above 6 METs, at least three days a week for 20 minutes. To assess control of postural sway, we measured the amplitude and velocity of anteroposterior (AP) and mediolateral (ML) sway in standing position, with their eyes open and closed, with and without foam, on a force platform. Results Comparison between genders revealed that, when compared to sedentary women, sedentary men displayed poorer performance in velocity and amplitude of AP postural control sway with their eyes closed, with and without foam. There were no differences in the amplitude and velocity of ML sway, both with open and closed eyes among groups (p < 0.05). There were no differences when comparing physically active men and women either. Conclusion Sedentary men seem to rely more on vision for maintaining postural control in quiet standing situations with respect to women.

scholarly journals Characteristics of Standing Postural Control in Women under Additional Load

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 490
Author(s):  
Bożena Wojciechowska-Maszkowska ◽  
Dorota Borzucka
Keyword(s):  
Postural Control ◽  
Postural Stability ◽  
Postural Sway ◽  
Center Of Pressure ◽  
Stability Control ◽  
Standing Posture ◽  
Additional Load ◽  
Eyes Open ◽  
Heavy Loads ◽  
Load Conditions

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of additional load on postural-stability control in young women. To evaluate postural control in the 34 women in this study (mean age, 20.8 years), we measured postural sway (center of pressure, COP) in a neutral stance (with eyes open) in three trials of 30 s each. Three load conditions were used in the study: 0, 14, and 30 kg. In analysis, we used three COP parameters, variability (linear), mean sway velocity (linear), and entropy (nonlinear). Results suggested that a considerable load on a young woman’s body (approximately 48% of body weight) had significant influence on stability. Specifically, heavy loads triggered random movements, increased the dynamics of postural-stability control, and required more attention to control standing posture. The results of our study indicate that inferior postural control mainly results from insufficient experience in lifting such a load.

scholarly journals The Effects of Active Self-Correction on Postural Control in Girls with Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis: The Role of an Additional Mental Task

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (5) ◽  
pp. 1640 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elżbieta Piątek ◽  
Michał Kuczyński ◽  
Bożena Ostrowska
Keyword(s):  
Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis ◽  
Idiopathic Scoliosis ◽  
Postural Control ◽  
Repeated Measures ◽  
Postural Sway ◽  
Center Of Pressure ◽  
Force Plate ◽  
Stroop Test ◽  
Quiet Standing ◽  
Mental Task

Due to balance deficits that accompany adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS), the potential interaction between activities of daily living and active self-correction movements (ASC) on postural control deserves particular attention. Our purpose was to assess the effects of ASC movements with or without a secondary mental task on postural control in twenty-five girls with AIS. It is a quasi-experimental within-subject design with repeated measures ANOVA. They were measured in four 20-s quiet standing trials on a force plate: no task, ASC, Stroop test, and both. Based on the center-of-pressure (COP) recordings, the COP parameters were computed. The ASC alone had no effect on any of the postural sway measures. Stroop test alone decreased COP speed and increased COP entropy. Performing the ASC movements and Stroop test together increased the COP speed and decreased COP entropy as compared to the baseline data. In conclusion, our results indicate that AIS did not interfere with postural control. The effects of the Stroop test accounted for good capacity of subjects with AIS to take advantage of distracting attentional resources from the posture. However, performing both tasks together exhibited some deficits in postural control, which may suggest the need for therapeutic consultation while engaging in more demanding activities.

Controlling Human Upright Posture: Velocity Information Is More Accurate Than Position or Acceleration

2004 ◽  
Vol 92 (4) ◽  
pp. 2368-2379 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Jeka ◽  
Tim Kiemel ◽  
Robert Creath ◽  
Fay Horak ◽  
Robert Peterka
Keyword(s):  
Postural Sway ◽  
Sensory Information ◽  
Accurate Information ◽  
Support Surface ◽  
Quiet Stance ◽  
Eyes Closed ◽  
Stance Control ◽  
Model Predictions ◽  
Velocity Information ◽  
Multisensory Information

The problem of how the nervous system fuses sensory information from multiple modalities for upright stance control remains largely unsolved. It is well established that the visual, vestibular, and somatosensory modalities provide position and rate (e.g., velocity, acceleration) information for estimation of body dynamics. However, it is unknown whether any particular property dominates when multisensory information is fused. Our recent stochastic analysis of postural sway during quiet stance suggested that sensory input provides more accurate information about the body's velocity than its position or acceleration. Here we tested this prediction by degrading major sources of velocity information through removal/attenuation of sensory information from vision and proprioception. Experimental measures of postural sway were compared with model predictions to determine whether sway behavior was indicative of a deficit in velocity information rather than position or acceleration information. Subjects stood with eyes closed on a support surface that was 1) fixed, 2) foam, or 3) sway-referenced. Six measures characterizing the stochastic structure of postural sway behaved in a manner consistent with model predictions of degraded velocity information. Results were inconsistent with the effect of degrading only position or acceleration information. These findings support the hypothesis that velocity information is the most accurate form of sensory information used to stabilize posture during quiet stance. Our results are consistent with the assumption that changes in sway behavior resulting from commonly used experimental manipulations (e.g., foam, sway-referencing, eyes closed) are primarily attributed to loss of accurate velocity information.

Reliability of Force-Platform Measures of Postural Sway and Expertise-Related Differences

2011 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 442-456 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zohreh Meshkati ◽  
Mehdi Namazizadeh ◽  
Mahyar Salavati ◽  
Masood Mazaheri
Keyword(s):  
Outcome Measures ◽  
Postural Sway ◽  
Center Of Pressure ◽  
Intraclass Correlation ◽  
Specific Property ◽  
Force Platform ◽  
Quiet Standing ◽  
Eyes Closed ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Eyes Open

Context:Although reliability is a population-specific property, few studies have investigated the measurement error associated with force-platform parameters in athletic populations.Objective:To investigate the skill-related differences between athletes and nonathletes in reliability of center-of-pressure (COP) summary measures under eyes-open (EO) and eyes-closed (EC) conditions.Design:Test–retest reliability study.Setting:COP was recorded during double-leg quiet standing on a Kistler force platform before and after a fatiguing treadmill exercise, with EO and EC.Participants:31 male participants including 15 athletes practiced in karate and 16 nonathletes.Main Outcome Measures:Standard deviation (SD) of amplitude, phase-plane portrait, SD of velocity, mean total velocity, and area were calculated from 30-s COP data. Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), standard error of measurement, and coefficient of variation (CV) were used as estimates of reliability and precision.Results:Higher ICCs were found for COP measures in the athlete (compared with the nonathlete) group, postfatigued (compared with prefatigued) condition, and EC (compared with EO) tests. CVs smaller than 15% were obtained for most of the COP measures. SD of velocity in the anteroposterior direction showed the highest reliability in most conditions.Conclusions:Tests with EC and to a lesser extent tests performed in the athlete group and in the postfatigued condition showed better reliability.

scholarly journals Postural Stability in Obese Preoperative Bariatric Patients Using Static and Dynamic Evaluation

Obesity Facts ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 499-513
Author(s):  
Gabriel M. Pagnotti ◽  
Amna Haider ◽  
Ariel Yang ◽  
Kathryn E. Cottell ◽  
Catherine M. Tuppo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Postural Stability ◽  
Postural Sway ◽  
Center Of Pressure ◽  
Postural Instability ◽  
Patient Specific ◽  
Morbidly Obese ◽  
Tissue Quality ◽  
Eyes Closed ◽  
Obese Subjects ◽  
The Impact

<b><i>Introduction:</i></b> Globally, 300 million adults have clinical obesity. Heightened adiposity and inadequate musculature secondary to obesity alter bipedal stance and gait, diminish musculoskeletal tissue quality, and compromise neuromuscular feedback; these physiological changes alter stability and increase injury risk from falls. Studies in the field focus on obese patients across a broad range of body mass indices (BMI &#x3e;30 kg/m<sup>2</sup>) but without isolating the most morbidly obese subset (BMI ≥40 kg/m<sup>2</sup>). We investigated the impact of obesity in perturbing postural stability in morbidly obese subjects elected for bariatric intervention, harboring a higher-spectrum BMI. <b><i>Subjects and Methods:</i></b> Traditional force plate measurements and stabilograms are gold standards employed when measuring center of pressure (COP) and postural sway. To quantify the extent of postural instability in subjects with obesity before bariatric surgery, we assessed 17 obese subjects with an average BMI of 40 kg/m<sup>2</sup> in contrast to 13 nonobese subjects with an average BMI of 30 kg/m<sup>2</sup>. COP and postural sway were measured from static and dynamic tasks. Involuntary movements were measured when patients performed static stances, with eyes either opened or closed. Two additional voluntary movements were measured when subjects performed dynamic, upper torso tasks with eyes opened. <b><i>Results:</i></b> Mean body weight was 85% (<i>p</i> &#x3c; 0.001) greater in obese than nonobese subjects. Following static balance assessments, we observed greater sway displacement in the anteroposterior (AP) direction in obese subjects with eyes open (87%, <i>p</i> &#x3c; 0.002) and eyes closed (76%, <i>p</i> = 0.04) versus nonobese subjects. Obese subjects also exhibited a higher COP velocity in static tests when subjects’ eyes were open (47%, <i>p</i> = 0.04). Dynamic tests demonstrated no differences between groups in sway displacement in either direction; however, COP velocity in the mediolateral (ML) direction was reduced (31%, <i>p</i> &#x3c; 0.02) in obese subjects while voluntarily swaying in the AP direction, but increased in the same cohort when swaying in the ML direction (40%, <i>p</i> &#x3c; 0.04). <b><i>Discussion and Conclusion:</i></b> Importantly, these data highlight obesity’s contribution towards increased postural instability. Obese subjects exhibited greater COP displacement at higher AP velocities versus nonobese subjects, suggesting that clinically obese individuals show greater instability than nonobese subjects. Identifying factors contributory to instability could encourage patient-specific physical therapies and presurgical measures to mitigate instability and monitor postsurgical balance improvements.

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