scholarly journals Restricted vision increases sensorimotor cortex involvement in human walking

2017 ◽  
Vol 118 (4) ◽  
pp. 1943-1951 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anderson S. Oliveira ◽  
Bryan R. Schlink ◽  
W. David Hairston ◽  
Peter König ◽  
Daniel P. Ferris
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Practice ◽  
Postural Control ◽  
Sensory Processing ◽  
Balance Control ◽  
Premotor Cortex ◽  
Motor Planning ◽  
Independent Component ◽  
Brain Areas ◽  
Eyes Closed ◽  
Eyes Open

This study aimed to determine whether there is electrocortical evidence of augmented participation of sensory brain areas in walking modulation during walking with eyes closed. Healthy subjects ( n = 10) walked on a treadmill at 1 m/s while alternating 5 min of walking with the eyes open or closed while we recorded ground reaction forces (GRFs) and high-density scalp electroencephalography (EEG). We applied independent component analysis to parse EEG signals into maximally independent component (IC) processes and then computed equivalent current dipoles for each IC. We clustered cortical source ICs and analyzed event-related spectral perturbations synchronized to gait events. Our results indicated that walking with eyes closed reduced the first peak of the vertical GRFs and induced shorter stride duration. Regarding the EEG, we found that walking with eyes closed induced significantly increased relative theta desynchronization in the frontal and premotor cortex during stance, as well as greater desynchronization from theta to beta bands during transition to single support for both left and right somatosensory cortex. These results suggest a phase-specific increased participation of brain areas dedicated to sensory processing and integration when vision is not available for locomotor guidance. Furthermore, the lack of vision demands higher neural processing related to motor planning and execution. Our findings provide evidence supporting the use of eyes-closed tasks in clinical practice, such as gait rehabilitation and improvements in balance control, as there is higher demand for additional sensory integration for achieving postural control. NEW & NOTEWORTHY We measured electrocortical dynamics in sighted individuals while walking with eyes open and eyes closed to induce the participation of other sensory systems in postural control. Our findings show that walking with visual restriction increases the participation of brain areas dedicated to sensory processing, motor planning, and execution. These results confirm the essential participation of supraspinal inputs to postural control in human locomotion, supporting the use of eyes-closed tasks in clinical practice.

Effects of hypothermic anesthesia of the feet on vibration-induced body sway and adaptation

2003 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 39-52 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. Stål ◽  
P.A. Fransson ◽  
M. Magnusson ◽  
M. Karlberg
Keyword(s):  
Postural Control ◽  
Sensory Loss ◽  
Body Sway ◽  
Cutaneous Mechanoreceptors ◽  
Supporting Surface ◽  
Eyes Closed ◽  
Somatosensory Input ◽  
Eyes Open ◽  
Sensor Information ◽  
Ice Water

The aim of this study was to investigate the significance of information from the plantar cutaneous mechanoreceptors in postural control and whether postural control could compensate for reduced cutaneous information by adaptation. Sixteen healthy subjects were tested with eyes open or eyes closed with hypothermic and normal feet temperature during posturography where body sway was induced by vibratory proprioceptive stimulation towards both calf muscles. The hypothermic anesthesia was obtained by cooling the subject's feet in ice water for 20 minutes. Body movements were evaluated by analyzing the anteroposterior and lateral torques induced towards the supporting surface by a force platform during the posturography tests. The reduction of cutaneous sensor information from the mechanoreceptors of the feet significantly increased the vibration-induced torque variance mainly in the anteroposterior direction. However, the effects of disturbed mechanoreceptors information was rapidly compensated for through postural adaptation and torque variance was in level with that without anesthesia within 50 to 100 seconds of stimulation, both when standing with eyes open and eyes closed. Our findings suggest that somatosensory input from mechanoreceptors in the foot soles contribute significantly in maintaining postural control, but the sensory loss could be compensated for.

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.

Static Postural Control Deficits in Adults with Myotonic Dystrophy Type 1, Steinert Disease

2022 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Audrey Parent ◽  
Laurent Ballaz ◽  
Bahare Samadi ◽  
Maria Vocos, pht ◽  
Alain Steve Comtois ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Postural Control ◽  
Myotonic Dystrophy ◽  
Myotonic Dystrophy Type 1 ◽  
Myotonic Dystrophy Type ◽  
Control Performance ◽  
Significant Group ◽  
Eyes Closed ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Eyes Open

Background: Myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) is characterized by progressive and predominantly distal muscle atrophy and myotonia. Gait and balance impairments, resulting in falls, are frequently reported in this population. However, the extent to which individuals with DM1 rely more on a specific sensory system for balance than asymptomatic individuals (AI) is unknown. Objective: Evaluate postural control performance in individuals with DM1 and its dependence on vision compared to AI. Methods: 20 participants with DM1, divided into two groups based on their diagnosis, i.e. adult and congenital phenotype, and 12 AI participants were recruited. Quiet standing postural control was assessed in two visual conditions: eyes-open and eyes-closed. The outcomes measures were center of pressure (CoP) mean velocity, CoP range of displacement in anteroposterior and mediolateral axis, and the 95% confidence ellipse’s surface. Friedman and Kruskal-Wallis analysis of variance were used to compare outcomes between conditions and groups, respectively. Results: Significant group effect and condition effect were observed on postural control performance. No significant difference was observed between the two DM1 groups. The significant differences observed between the AI group and the two DM1 groups in the eyes-open condition were also observed in the eyes-closed condition. Conclusions: The result revealed poorer postural control performance in people with DM1 compared to AI. The DM1 group also showed similar decrease in performance than AI in eyes-closed condition, suggesting no excessive visual dependency.

scholarly journals Static Balance in Patients with Vestibular Impairments: A Preliminary Study

Scientifica ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 ◽  
pp. 1-4 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hossein Talebi ◽  
Mohammad Taghi Karimi ◽  
Seyed Hamid Reza Abtahi ◽  
Niloofar Fereshtenejad
Keyword(s):  
Path Length ◽  
Center Of Pressure ◽  
Balance Control ◽  
Force Plate ◽  
Static Balance ◽  
Eyes Closed ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Eyes Open ◽  
Age Limits ◽  
The Difference

Aims. Vestibular system is indicated as one of the most important sensors responsible for static and dynamic postural control. In this study, we evaluated static balance in patients with unilateral vestibular impairments.Materials and Methods. We compared static balance control using Kistler force plate platform between 10 patients with unilateral vestibular impairments and 20 normal counterparts in the same sex ratio and age limits (50±7). We evaluated excursion and velocity of center of pressure (COP) and path length in anteroposterior (AP) and mediolateral (ML) planes with eyes open and with eyes closed.Results. There was no significant difference between COP excursions in ML and AP planes between both groups with eyes open and eyes closed (pvalue > 0.05). In contrast, the difference between velocity and path length of COP in the mentioned planes was significant between both groups with eyes open and eyes closed (pvalue < 0.05).Conclusions. The present study showed the static instability and balance of patients with vestibular impairments indicated by the abnormal characteristics of body balance.

scholarly journals Positive Effects of Blue Light on Postural Control and Motor Coordination in Older Adults: A Pilot Study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Martyn Beaven ◽  
Liis Uiga ◽  
Kim Hébert-Losier
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Cognitive Function ◽  
Postural Control ◽  
Motor Coordination ◽  
Light Exposure ◽  
Clinical Approach ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Eyes Closed ◽  
Eyes Open ◽  
Human Costs

Abstract Purpose: Falls are a risk factor for mortality in older adults. Light interventions can improve cognitive function and performance in motor tasks, but the potential impact on postural control with relevance to falling is unknown. This study aimed to examine the effect of light on postural control, motor coordination, and cognitive functioning. Methods: Sixteen older adults participated in an intervention study that involved four counter-balanced sessions with blue-enriched light delivered visually and/or transcranially for 12 minutes. Postural control in three conditions (60 s eyes open, dual-task, and eyes closed), lower extremity motor coordination, and cognitive function were assessed. Area of sway (AoS), coordination, and cognitive function were compared between the groups via repeated-measured ANOVA. Results: Relative to placebo, visual blue-enriched light exposure clearly decreased AoS (d = 0.68 ±0.73; p =0.166) and improved reaction time in the motor coordination task (d = 1.44 ±0.75; p =0.004); however, no significant effect was seen on cognitive function. Conclusion Blue-enriched light demonstrates a novel clinical approach to positively impact on postural control and lower-limb motor coordination in older adults. By impacting on metrics associated with fall risk, blue-enriched light may provide a clinically meaningful countermeasure to decrease the human costs of falls.

scholarly journals The impact of modern jazz dance on the electrical brain activity

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Johanna Wind ◽  
Wolfgang Schöllhorn
Keyword(s):  
Brain Activity ◽  
Brain Activation ◽  
Brain Areas ◽  
Eyes Closed ◽  
Gamma Frequency ◽  
Electrical Brain Activity ◽  
Modern Jazz ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Eyes Open ◽  
The Impact

AbstractDance as one of the earliest cultural assets of mankind is practised in different cultures, mostly for wellbeing or for treating psycho-physiological disorders like Parkinson, depression, autism. However, the underlying neurophysiological mechanisms are still unclear and only few studies address the effects of particular dance styles. For a first impression, we were interested in the effects of modern jazz dance (MJD) on the brain activation that would contribute to the understanding of these mechanisms. 11 female subjects rehearsed a MJD choreography for three weeks (1h per week) and passed electroencephalographic (EEG) measurements in a crossover-design thereafter. The objectives were to establish the differences between dancing physically and participating just mentally with or without music. Therefore, each subject realized the four following test conditions: dancing physically to and without music, dancing mentally to and without music. Each of the conditions were performed for 15 minutes. Before and after each condition, the EEG activities were recorded under resting conditions (2 min. eyes-open, 2 min. eyes-closed) followed by a subsequent wash-out phase of 10 minutes.The results of the study revealed no time effects for the mental dancing conditions, either to or without music. An increased electrical brain activation was followed by the physical dancing conditions with and without music for the theta, alpha-1, alpha-2, beta and gamma frequency band across the entire scalp. Especially the higher frequencies (alpha-2, beta, gamma) showed increased brain activation across all brain areas. Higher brain activities for the physical dancing conditions were identified in comparison to the mental dancing condition. No statistically significant differences could be found as to dancing to or without music. Our findings demonstrate evidence for the immediate influence of modern jazz dance and its sweeping effects on all brain areas for all measured frequency bands, when dancing physically. In comparison, dancing just mentally does not result in similar effects.

scholarly journals Postural control in girls with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis while wearing a Chêneau brace or performing active self-correction: a pilot study

PeerJ ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. e7513 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elżbieta Piątek ◽  
Michał Kuczyński ◽  
Bożena Ostrowska
Keyword(s):  
Fractal Dimension ◽  
Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis ◽  
Idiopathic Scoliosis ◽  
Postural Control ◽  
Reciprocal Relationship ◽  
Quiet Standing ◽  
Quiet Stance ◽  
Therapeutic Modalities ◽  
Eyes Closed ◽  
Eyes Open

Background It is known that adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) is often accompanied by balance deficits. This reciprocal relationship must be taken into account when prescribing new therapeutic modalities because these may differently affect postural control, interacting with therapy and influencing its results. Objective The purpose was to compare postural control in girls with AIS while wearing the Chêneau brace (BRA) or performing active self-correction (ASC) with their postural control in a quiet comfortable stance. Methods Nine subjects were evaluated on a force plate in three series of two 20-s quiet standing trials with eyes open or closed; three blocks were randomly arranged: normal quiet stance (QST), quiet stance with BRA, and quiet stance with ASC. On the basis of centre-of-pressure (COP) recordings, the spatial and temporal COP parameters were computed. Results and Discussion Performing ASC was associated with a significant backward excursion of the COP mean position with eyes open and closed (ES = 0.56 and 0.65, respectively; p < 0.05). This excursion was accompanied by an increase in the COP fractal dimension (ES = 1.05 and 0.98; p < 0.05) and frequency (ES = 0.78; p = 0.10 and ES = 1.14; p < 0.05) in the mediolateral (ML) plane. Finally, both therapeutic modalities decreased COP sample entropy with eyes closed in the anteroposterior (AP) plane. Wearing BRA resulted in ES = 1.45 (p < 0.05) while performing ASC in ES = 0.76 (p = 0.13). Conclusion The observed changes in the fractal dimension (complexity) and frequency caused by ASC account for better adaptability of patients to environmental demands and for their adequate resources of available postural strategies in the ML plane. These changes in sway structure were accompanied by a significant (around 25 mm) backward excursion of the mean COP position. However, this improvement was achieved at the cost of lower automaticity, i.e. higher attentional involvement in postural control in the AP plane. Wearing BRA may have an undesirable effect on some aspects of body balance.

scholarly journals Functional Electrical Stimulation of Peroneal Muscles on Balance in Healthy Females

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Zoe A. Bamber ◽  
Wei Sun ◽  
Rhea S. Menon ◽  
Patrick C. Wheeler ◽  
Ian D. Swain ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Electrical Stimulation ◽  
Functional Electrical Stimulation ◽  
Balance Control ◽  
Standing Balance ◽  
Treadmill Running ◽  
Eyes Closed ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Single Leg Stance ◽  
Eyes Open ◽  
Healthy Females

Balance improvement could contribute to ankle stability for the prevention of ankle sprains. Functional electrical stimulation (FES) is an effective way of augmenting muscle activity and improving balance. This study investigated the effect of FES of peroneal muscles on single-and double-leg balance. Fifteen healthy females (age=23.1±1.6 years, height=1.63±0.07 m, and weight=63.7±9.9 kg) performed single- and double-leg standing balance tests with eyes open and closed before and after 15-minute FES intervention during treadmill running at a comfortable, self-selected pace. FES of peroneal muscles was provided bilaterally, using an Odstock Dropped Foot Stimulator. The total excursion of the centre of pressure (COP) was calculated to assess the standing balance control ability. The total excursion of COP in single- and double-leg stance with eyes open reduced significantly after FES intervention by 14.7% (p<0.001) and 5.9% (p=0.031), respectively. The eyes-closed condition exhibited a 12.7% (p=0.002) reduction in single-leg stance but did not significantly change in double-leg stance (p>0.05). Limb preference did not account for balance postintervention. No significant difference in total excursion of COP was found between preferred and less preferred limbs with both visual conditions (p>0.05). FES of peroneal muscles improved standing balance control with eyes open in double-leg and single-leg stance and with eyes closed in double-leg stance. The improvements in balance control with FES treatment did not vary concerning limb preference.

scholarly journals Different visual manipulations have similar effects on quasi-static and dynamic balance responses of young and older people

PeerJ ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. e11221
Author(s):  
Daniel Schmidt ◽  
Felipe P. Carpes ◽  
Thomas L. Milani ◽  
Andresa M.C. Germano
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Balance Control ◽  
Dynamic Balance ◽  
Visual Deprivation ◽  
Elderly Persons ◽  
Eyes Closed ◽  
Balance Tests ◽  
Postural Responses ◽  
Eyes Open ◽  
Visual Conditions

Background Studies demonstrated that the older adults can be more susceptible to balance instability after acute visual manipulation. There are different manipulation approaches used to investigate the importance of visual inputs on balance, e.g., eyes closed and blackout glasses. However, there is evidence that eyes open versus eyes closed results in a different organization of human brain functional networks. It is, however, unclear how different visual manipulations affect balance, and whether such effects differ between young and elderly persons. Therefore, this study aimed to determine whether different visual manipulation approaches affect quasi-static and dynamic balance responses differently, and to investigate whether balance responses of young and older adults are affected differently by these various visual conditions. Methods Thirty-six healthy participants (20 young and 16 older adults) performed balance tests (quasi-static and unexpected perturbations) under four visual conditions: Eyes Open, Eyes Closed, Blackout Glasses, and Dark Room. Center of pressure (CoP) and muscle activation (EMG) were quantified. Results As expected, visual deprivation resulted in larger CoP excursions and higher muscle activations during balance tests for all participants. Surprisingly, the visual manipulation approach did not influence balance control in either group. Furthermore, quasi-static and dynamic balance control did not differ between young or older adults. The visual system plays an important role in balance control, however, similarly for both young and older adults. Different visual deprivation approaches did not influence balance results, meaning our results are comparable between participants of different ages. Further studies should investigate whether a critical illumination level may elicit different postural responses between young and older adults.

scholarly journals Haptic contact with a walking dog improves human balance during a quiet tandem task with various levels of difficulty

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 237-249
Author(s):  
Eliane Mauerberg-deCastro ◽  
Gabriella A. Figueiredo ◽  
Thayna P. Iasi ◽  
Debra F. Campbell ◽  
Renato Moraes
Keyword(s):  
Postural Control ◽  
Task Difficulty ◽  
Force Platform ◽  
Support Surface ◽  
Haptic Information ◽  
Dog Walking ◽  
Eyes Closed ◽  
Pulling Forces ◽  
Eyes Open ◽  
Human Balance

BACKGROUND: When a person walks a dog, information from variables of their own postural control is integrated with haptic information from the dog’s movements (e.g., direction, speed of movement, pulling forces). AIM: We examined how haptic information provided through contact with a moving endpoint (here, the leash of a dog walking on a treadmill) influenced an individual’s postural control during a quiet tandem standing task with and without restricted vision and under various elevations of the support surface (increased task difficulty levels). METHOD: Adults performed a 30-second quiet tandem stance task on a force platform while holding a leash attached to a dog who walked on a treadmill parallel to the force platform. Conditions included: haptic contact (dog and no-dog), vision constraint (eyes open, EO, and eyes closed, EC), and surfaces (4 heights). RESULTS: Interaction between haptic condition and vision showed that contact with the dog leash reduced root mean square (RMS) and mean sway speed (MSS). RMS showed that the highest surface had the greatest rate of sway reduction during haptic contact with EC, and an increase with EO. CONCLUSION: The dog’s movements were used as a haptic reference to aid balance when eyes were closed. In this condition, contact with the dog’s leash reduced the extent of sway variability on the higher surfaces.

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