Spectral analysis of balance control and postural adaptation with and without the addition of different degrees of cognitive loading in healthy children and young adults

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of different degrees of cognitive loading on balance control and postural adaptations in ten children (8-10 years of age) and ten university aged adults. A 2 (children versus adults) x 2 (quiet standing versus lean task) x 3 (cognitive task 1 versus cognitive task 2 versus no cognitive task) mixed factorial design with repeated measures on the last two factors was used. An AMTI force platform recorded the Center of Pressure (COP) movement. Traditional measures included area of sway (Ao), path length (L), anterior-posterior(AP) and lateral sway (Lt). Fourier analysis was used to compute frequency and power distributions of postural sway. The balance tasks included quiet standing assessing balance control, and a leaning task used for the assessment of postural adaptations. The leaning task required participants to lean as far as possible forward and backward, from the vertical, while maintaining balance. Object identification and numeric classification task were used to manipulate the degree of cognitive loading. A total of 18 trials were completed by each participant with each trial lasting 20 seconds. The results will be discussed in the context of current theories of motor control as applied to attention and control of posture.