Weighting of visual and auditory inputs in dancers with and without previous ankle injury

Elite dance requires highly controlled balance performance in dynamic visual and auditory environments characterized by the use of stage lighting and music. Perturbing visual input is known to influence balance in dancers, but the effects of sounds have not been clearly established. Ankle inversion injuries are common in dancers and may also play a role in dancers' ability to respond to sensory perturbations. The aims of this study were to identify changes in static balance in response to visual or auditory perturbation in elite collegiate dancers with and without a history of ankle injury, and to describe coupling of measurements obtained from the waist and head during balance. Thirty-seven dancers: 22 controls and 15 with a history of ankle sprain, performed single-leg balance under static and dynamic visual and auditory conditions. Dancers demonstrated increased waist sway when viewing a dynamic visual scene and when presented with moving sounds and increased head sway with dynamic visuals. These results did not vary by history of ankle sprain. While dancers appear to dampen the impact of waist sway on head motion during single leg stance, even highly trained dancers may experience challenges controlling balance under perturbing visual and auditory conditions like those present during stage performance.