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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 13, 2026

Experimental Methods to Study Human Postural Control
08:12

Experimental Methods to Study Human Postural Control

Published on: September 11, 2019

Stance and sensory feedback influence on postural dynamics.

S Lee Hong1, Brad Manor, Li Li

  • 1Department of Kinesiology, The Pennsylvania State University, United States.

Neuroscience Letters
|August 4, 2007
PubMed
Summary

Ice-induced plantar desensitization and visual feedback withdrawal increase postural sway variability, especially during tandem stances. Plantar desensitization affected sway magnitude, not its structure, while visual feedback withdrawal had complex effects based on stance demands.

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Area of Science:

  • Biomechanics
  • Human motor control
  • Sensory integration

Background:

  • Postural control relies on integrating sensory information from visual, vestibular, and somatosensory systems.
  • Plantar somatosensation and visual feedback are crucial for maintaining balance.
  • Altering sensory input can reveal compensatory mechanisms in postural control.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the impact of ice-induced plantar desensitization and visual feedback withdrawal on postural sway.
  • To differentiate effects on the magnitude versus the time-dependent structure of postural sway variability.
  • To understand how task demands (normal vs. tandem stance) modulate these effects.

Main Methods:

  • Quantified postural sway variability using the area of the center of pressure (COP) ellipse (95%).
  • Analyzed COP time-series with Approximate Entropy (ApEn) and Cross-Approximate Entropy (CrossApEn) for irregularity and asynchrony.
  • Manipulated sensory input via ice-induced plantar desensitization and visual feedback withdrawal during normal and tandem stances.

Main Results:

  • Postural sway variability increased during tandem stance, further amplified by visual feedback withdrawal and plantar desensitization.
  • Visual feedback withdrawal increased sway irregularity (ApEn) and asynchrony (CrossApEn) during tandem stance, but decreased them during normal stance.
  • Plantar desensitization primarily affected the magnitude of sway variability, leaving its time-dependent structure unaltered.

Conclusions:

  • Plantar desensitization impacts the overall amount of sway but not its underlying control strategy.
  • Visual feedback withdrawal's effect on sway structure is context-dependent, influenced by the postural task's complexity.
  • These findings underscore the dynamic interplay between sensory feedback and task demands in maintaining postural stability.