Abstract
The aims of this study were to (1) characterize anticipatory and reactive postural strategies in typically developing (TD) children and adolescents; (2) determine if TD youth shift from reactive to anticipatory mechanisms based on knowledge of platform movement; and (3) determine whether TD youth further modify postural strategies when additional information about the perturbation is provided. Sixteen typically developing youth aged 7–17 years stood with eyes open on a movable platform that progressively translated anteroposteriorly (20 cm peak-to-peak) through four speeds (0.1, 0.25, 0.5, and 0.61 Hz). Participants performed two trials each of experimenter-triggered and self-triggered perturbations. Postural muscle activity (1000 Hz) of the tibialis anterior, gastrocnemius, quadriceps and hamstrings and 3D whole body kinematics (100 Hz) were recorded. The Anchoring Index and marker-pair trajectory cross-correlations were calculated as indications of body stabilization. The number of steps taken to regain balance/avoid falling were counted. Transition states and steady states were analyzed separately. Generally, the higher frequencies resulted in more steps being taken, lower correlations coupled with greater temporal lags between marker trajectories, and postural muscle activity similar to older adults. The provision of self-triggered perturbations allowed participants to make the appropriate changes to their balance by use of anticipatory postural control mechanisms.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Adkin AL, Frank JS, Carpenter MG, Peysar GW (2000) Postural control is scaled to level of postural threat. Gait Posture 12(2):87–93. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0966-6362(00)00057-6
Amblard B, Assaiante C, Fabre J-C et al (1997) Voluntary head stabilization in space during trunk movements in weightlessness. Exp Brain Res 114:214–225
Amblard B, Assaiante C, Vaugoyeau M, Baroni G, Ferrigno G, Pedotti A (2001) Voluntary head stabilisation in space during oscillatory trunk movements in the frontal plane performed before, during and after a prolonged period of weightlessness. Exp Brain Res 137(2):170–179. https://doi.org/10.1007/s002210000621
Assaiante C (1998) Development of locomotor balance control in healthy children. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 22(4):527–532
Assaiante C, Amblard B (1995) An ontogenetic model for the sensorimotor organization of balance control in humans. Hum Mov Sci 14(1):13–43. https://doi.org/10.1016/0167-9457(94)00048-J
Assaiante C, Mallau S, Viel S, Jover M, Schmitz C (2005) Development of postural control in healthy children: a functional approach. Neural Plast 12(2–3):109–118. https://doi.org/10.1155/NP.2005.109
Buchanan JJ, Horak FB (1999) Emergence of postural patterns as a function of vision and translation frequency. J Neurophysiol 81:2325–2339
Bugnariu N, Sveistrup H (2006) Age-related changes in postural responses to externally- and self-triggered continuous perturbations. Arch Gerontol Geriatr 42(1):73–89. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.archger.2005.05.003
Burtner PA, Woollacott MH, Craft GL, Roncesvalles MN (2007) The capacity to adapt to changing balance threats: a comparison of children with cerebral palsy and typically developing children. Dev Neurorehabil 10(3):249–260. https://doi.org/10.1080/17518420701303066
Carpenter MG, Frank JS, Adkin AL, Paton A, Allum JHJ (2004) Influence of postural anxiety on postural reactions to multi-directional surface rotations. J Neurophysiol 92(6):3255–3265. https://doi.org/10.1152/jn.01139.2003
Corna S, Tarantola J, Nardone A, Giordano A, Schieppati M (1999) Standing on a continuously moving platform: is body inertia counteracted or exploited? Exp Brain Res 124(3):331–341. https://doi.org/10.1007/s002210050630
De Nunzio AM, Schieppati M (2007) Time to reconfigure balancing behaviour in man: changing visual condition while riding a continuously moving platform. Exp Brain Res 178(1):18–36. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00221-006-0708-z
Dietz V, Trippel M, Ibrahim IK, Berger W (1993) Human stance on a sinusoidally translating platform: balance control by feedforward and feedback mechanisms. Exp Brain Res 93(2):352–362. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00228405
Fujiwara K, Kiyota T, Mammadova A, Yaguchi C (2011) Age-related changes and sex differences in postural control adaptability in children during periodic floor oscillation with eyes closed. J Physiol Anthropol 30(5):187–194. https://doi.org/10.2114/jpa2.30.187
Hansen PD, Wollacott M, Debu B (1988) Postural responses to changing task conditions. Exp Brain Res 73:627–636
Horak FB, Nashner LM (1986) Central programming of postural movements: adaptation to altered support-surface configurations. J Neurophysiol 55(6):1369–1381. https://doi.org/10.1152/jn.1986.55.6.1369
Kennedy A, Bugnariu N, Guevel A, Sveistrup H (2013) Adaptation of the feedforward postural response to repeated continuous postural perturbations. Neurosci Med 4(1):45–49. https://doi.org/10.4236/nm.2013.41007
Laessoe U, Voigt M (2008) Anticipatory postural control strategies related to predictive perturbations. Gait Posture 28(1):62–68. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gaitpost.2007.10.001
McCollum G, Leen TK (1989) Form and exploration of mechanical stability limits in erect stance. J Mot Behav 21(3):225–244
Mcllroy WE, Maki BE (1993) Task constraints on foot movement and the incidence of compensatory stepping following perturbation of upright stance. Brain Res 616:30–38
Mcllroy WE, Maki BE (1996) Age-related changes in compensatory stepping in response to unpredictable perturbations. J Gerontol 51(6):M289–M296
Mesure S, Azulay J, Pouget J, Amblard B (1999) Strategies of segmental stabilization during gait in Parkinson’s disease. Exp Brain Res 129:573–581
Pai Y, Patton J (1997) Center of mass velocity-position predictions for balance control. J Niomech 30(4):347–354
Pai Y, Rogers MW, Patton J, Cain TD, Hanke TA (1998) Static versus dynamic predictions of protective stepping following waist—pull perturbations in young and older adults. J Biomech 31:1111–1118
Pai Y, Wening JD, Runtz EF, Iqbal K, Pavol MJ (2003) Role of feedforward control of movement stability in reducing slip-related balance loss and falls among older adults. J Neurophysiol 90:755–762
Pavol MJ, Pai YC (2002) Feedforward adaptations are used to compensate for a potential loss of balance. Exp Brain Res 145(4):528–538. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00221-002-1143-4
Perrin P, Schneider D, Deviterne D, Perrot C (1998) Training improves the adaptation to changing visual conditions in maintaining human posture control in a test of sinusoidal oscillation of the support. Neurosci Lett 245:155–158
Rankin JK, Woollacott MH, Shumway-Cook A, Brown LA (2000) Cognitive influence on postural stability: a neuromuscular analysis in young and older adults. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 55(3):M112–M119. https://doi.org/10.1093/gerona/55.3.M112
Roncesvalles MNC, Woollacott MH, Jensen JL (2000) The development of compensatory stepping skills in children. J Mot Behav 32(1):100–111
Santos MJ, Kanekar N, Aruin AS (2010) The role of anticipatory postural adjustments in compensatory control of posture: 2. Biomechanical analysis. J Electromyogr Kinesiol 20(3):398–405. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jelekin.2010.01.002
Schmid M, Bottaro A, Sozzi S, Schieppati M (2011) Adaptation to continuous perturbation of balance: progressive reduction of postural muscle activity with invariant or increasing oscillations of the center of mass depending on perturbation frequency and vision conditions. Hum Mov Sci 30(2):262–278. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.humov.2011.02.002
Shumway-Cook A, Woollacott M (2000) Attentional demands and postural control: the effect of sensory context. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 55(1):M10–M16. https://doi.org/10.1093/gerona/55.1.M10
Van Ooteghem K, Frank JS, Allard F, Buchanan JJ, Oates AR, Horak FB (2008) Compensatory postural adaptations during continuous, variable amplitude perturbations reveal generalized rather than sequence-specific learning. Exp Brain Res 187(4):603–611. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00221-008-1329-5
Woollacott M, Shumway-Cook A (1990) Changes in posture control across the life span—a systems approach. Phys Ther 70(12):799–807
Woollacott M, Shumway-Cook A (2002) Attention and the control of posture and gait: a review of an emerging area of research. Gait Posture 16(1):1–14. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0966-6362(01)00156-4
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Mills, R.S., Sveistrup, H. Kinematics and postural muscular activity during continuous oscillating platform movement in children and adolescents. Exp Brain Res 236, 1479–1490 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00221-018-5228-0
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00221-018-5228-0