Postural control following a self-initiated reaching task in type 2 diabetic patients and age-matched controls

Although the postural stability of diabetic patients is affected in the presence of polyneuropathy, it has been suggested that diabetes per se has no effect on balance control during quiet standing. However, recent studies have reported muscular mechanical deficits in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) that may be highlighted during a more destabilizing task than quiet standing. Therefore, the objective of this study was to compare non-diabetic and T2D subjects during a modified version of the functional reach (FR) test in order to discriminate differences in postural control associated with diabetes per se. Thirty subjects (15 non-diabetic and 15 T2D) were requested to stand on a force platform and to perform the FR test. Center of pressure velocity (V(COP)), root-mean-square (RMS) amplitude and range of the COP were calculated in the anterior-posterior direction during three specific periods of the FR performance: namely "before", "on-going" and "after". No significant difference between the non-diabetic subjects and the T2D subjects was found for the FR performance. However, T2D subjects had significantly higher V(COP), RMS and range of COP displacements for the "after" period compared to the non-diabetic group (p<0.05). These results suggest that T2D subjects without peripheral neuropathy may have difficulties regaining their stability after a self-initiated reaching task. Therefore, diabetes mellitus per se, could have a direct effect on postural control during standing after a self-induced forward reaching movement.