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Related Experiment Videos

Visual fixation and postural sway in children.

C L Riach1, J L Starkes

  • 1School of Physical Education and Athletics, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4K1, Canada.

Journal of Motor Behavior
|September 1, 1989
PubMed
Summary

Children can use visual targets to improve their balance, similar to adults. However, younger children struggle more with visual fixation, impacting their ability to use this balance strategy effectively.

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Area of Science:

  • Human movement science
  • Developmental psychology
  • Vision science

Background:

  • Adults utilize visual targets to decrease postural sway during quiet standing.
  • Understanding if children exhibit similar postural control strategies is crucial for developmental research.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate if children can reduce postural sway using a visual target under various postural conditions.
  • To assess children's visual fixation abilities across different postural challenges.
  • To determine the relationship between visual fixation and postural sway reduction in children.

Main Methods:

  • Children of varying ages performed quiet standing tasks with and without a visual target.
  • Postural sway was measured using stabilometry.
  • Visual fixation was assessed by observing spontaneous visual saccades.
  • Different stances (feet-together, Romberg) were employed to vary postural difficulty.

Main Results:

  • Children, like adults, demonstrated reduced postural sway when a visual target was present.
  • Younger children exhibited poorer visual fixation compared to older children and adults.
  • Children made more spontaneous visual saccades in the no-target condition and during the Romberg stance.
  • Saccade frequency decreased with age, even in controlled seated conditions.

Conclusions:

  • Visual targets are effective for improving postural control in children, mirroring adult capabilities.
  • Visual fixation limitations in young children may hinder their use of visual strategies for balance.
  • Age-related improvements in visual fixation contribute to enhanced postural stability in children.

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