Motor control and learning theories in the study of balance: A scoping review

Abstract

Balance control is an essential skill in stance and gait. Gaining a better understanding of balance will aid in developing new rehabilitation techniques and decrease the risk of falls. The field of motor behavior has many well-established theories that have influenced clinical practice and can be applied to study balance control. The purpose of our study is to conduct a scoping review of studies related to balance control that have used the following concepts: Fitts' law, focus of attention and challenge point framework (CPF). A comprehensive search of databases was performed to identify studies related to our purpose. Results show 47 studies that are related to our scope: 2 studies related to CPF, 12 studies related to Fitts' law; and 33 studies related to focus of attention. The majority of studies involved young adult participants (n=38), with a minority of studies (~19%) involving special populations who have standing balance impairments. Our review provides evidence that motor behavior theories can be applied to better understand balance control. Fitts' law was used repeatedly to design alterable levels of task difficulty and was found to have a relationship with anticipatory postural adjustments. The CPF was utilized effectively to design balance rehabilitation programs. Evidence related to focus of attention showed that adopting an external focus of attention yields better performance and learning of balance-related tasks. The majority of studies reviewed involved non-disabled healthy populations. Future research should focus on implementing motor behavior concepts in clinical settings to examine balance control among people with balance impairments.