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Related Experiment Videos

Postural sway during single and repeated cold exposures.

Tiina M Mäkinen1, Hannu Rintamäki, Juha T Korpelainen

  • 1Centre for Arctic Medicine, Thule Institute, University of Oulu, P.O. Box 5000, FIN-90014 University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland. tiina.makinen@oulu.fi

Aviation, Space, and Environmental Medicine
|October 21, 2005
PubMed
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Cold exposure significantly impairs postural control, increasing sway and affecting physical performance. Repeated cold exposure leads to motor learning, but the cold

Area of Science:

  • Physiology
  • Biomechanics
  • Environmental Health

Background:

  • Tissue cooling impacts sensory and neuromuscular functions crucial for maintaining balance.
  • Understanding cold's effect on postural control is vital for physical performance in cold environments.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the effects of acute and repeated cold exposure on whole-body postural control.
  • To quantify changes in postural sway under varying cold conditions.

Main Methods:

  • 10 subjects stood with eyes open and closed, with postural sway measured using an inclinometer.
  • Assessments were conducted at 10°C daily for 10 days and at 25°C on days 1, 5, and 10.
  • Measurements included sway path length, area, velocity, movement direction, temperature, muscle tone, and thermal sensation.

Related Experiment Videos

Main Results:

  • Acute 10°C exposure increased sway (path length, velocity, area, forward-backward movement) by 35-87% (p < 0.05) compared to 25°C.
  • Side-to-side sway was not affected by cold; sway increased with eyes closed, and further in the cold.
  • Repeated exposures reduced sway by 10-40% (p < 0.05-0.01), indicating motor learning, but the cold's impact remained consistent.

Conclusions:

  • Postural control is demonstrably impaired by cold exposure.
  • This impairment in balance may negatively affect physical performance in cold conditions.
  • While motor learning occurs with repeated exposure, cold-induced sway deficits persist.