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Postural control in quiet standing with a concurrent cognitive task in psychotic conditions
Ann-Katrin Stensdotter1, Anne Kristin Wanvik, Håvard W Lorås
1Faculty of Health Education and Social Work, Physiotherap, Sør-Trøndelag University College, Trondheim, Norway. annkatrin.stensdotter@hist.no
Journal of Motor Behavior
|June 8, 2013
Summary
Psychotic patients exhibit greater postural sway due to exaggerated ankle joint torque, even during simple cognitive tasks. This research highlights differences in postural control between patients and healthy individuals.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Biomechanics
- Clinical Psychology
Background:
- Postural control is crucial for daily activities.
- Psychiatric disorders can affect motor functions.
- Dual-task paradigms assess cognitive-motor interference.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare postural control between psychotic patients and healthy subjects.
- To investigate the effects of a cognitive task on postural sway.
- To identify biomechanical differences in postural regulation.
Main Methods:
- Quiet standing with and without a backward counting task.
- Recording of Center of Pressure (CoP) and Center of Mass (CoM) kinematics.
- Analysis of CoM-migration, CoP-CoM magnitude, and CoP-frequency.
Main Results:
- Both groups showed increased CoP-CoM magnitude and CoP-frequency during the dual task.
- Patients exhibited greater CoM and CoP-CoM migration magnitudes.
- CoP-frequency remained similar between groups, suggesting preserved basic postural adjustments.
Conclusions:
- Psychotic patients demonstrate impaired postural control compared to healthy individuals.
- Exaggerated ankle joint torque, relative to postural sway frequency, contributes to increased sway in patients.
- Cognitive load impacts postural control differently in psychotic patients.
