Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 23, 2026
09:13
A Vibrotactile Feedback Device for Seated Balance Assessment and Training
Published on: January 20, 2019
Delayed visual feedback reveals distinct time scales in balance control.
Maarten R C van den Heuvel1, Ramesh Balasubramaniam, Andreas Daffertshofer
1Research Institute MOVE, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. m.vandenheuvel@fbw.vu.nl
Neuroscience Letters
|May 16, 2009
Summary
Artificial visual feedback delays impact postural stability differently based on sway frequency. Slow sway increases with delay, while fast sway is reduced at specific delays, suggesting distinct time scales in postural control.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Biomechanics
- Human Motor Control
Background:
- Postural stability is crucial for daily activities.
- Visual feedback plays a significant role in maintaining balance.
- Understanding the time scales of postural control is essential for rehabilitation and performance enhancement.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effect of artificial visual feedback delays on postural stability.
- To differentiate the time scales of postural control by analyzing sway frequencies.
- To determine how varying delay durations influence different components of postural sway.
Main Methods:
- 12 healthy subjects participated in a postural stability experiment.
- Artificial delays (0-1000 ms) were applied to visual feedback of the center-of-pressure (COP).
- Subjects attempted to maintain COP on a target under real-time, delayed, or no visual feedback conditions.
Main Results:
- Real-time visual feedback improved stability compared to no feedback.
- Slow postural sway (low frequencies) increased monotonically with increasing feedback delay.
- Fast postural sway (high frequencies) was reduced at delays of 500-750 ms.
Conclusions:
- Postural control operates on at least two distinct time scales, as evidenced by differential responses to visual feedback delays.
- Low-frequency sway is sensitive to longer delays, while high-frequency sway shows resilience or even improvement at moderate delays.
- These findings support a multi-time-scale model of postural control, with implications for understanding sensorimotor integration.
