Balance task difficulty affects postural sway and cortical activity in healthy adolescents

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Human Physiology
• Developmental Psychology

Background:

• Electroencephalography (EEG) studies reveal altered low-frequency brain activity in adults' frontoparietal regions during balance tasks with increasing postural demands.
• This phenomenon remains largely unexplored in adolescents, particularly concerning how progressively difficult balance tasks affect their brain activity and performance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of increasing balance task difficulty on postural sway and electroencephalography (EEG) patterns in adolescents.
• To compare adolescent brain activity during balance tasks with findings from adult studies.

Main Methods:

• Thirteen healthy adolescents (16-17 years) performed balance tests on a board with six difficulty levels.
• Postural sway was measured using a pressure-sensitive system, while cortical activity was recorded using EEG.
• EEG data were analyzed for theta (4-7 Hz) and alpha-2 (10-12 Hz) band power in frontal, central, and parietal brain regions.

Main Results:

• Postural sway significantly increased with task difficulty (p < 0.001).
• Theta band power increased in frontal and central areas, while alpha-2 band power decreased in central and parietal areas as balance demands rose.
• These EEG changes were observed across various frontoparietal clusters, indicating significant main effects of task difficulty.

Conclusions:

• Adolescents exhibit distinct changes in theta and alpha-2 brainwave activity with increasing balance task difficulty, similar to adults.
• Findings suggest that frontoparietal brain areas are crucial for postural control regulation in adolescents.
• Increased theta power may reflect heightened attention and error monitoring, while decreased alpha-2 power could indicate enhanced sensory processing during demanding balance tasks.