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Can tactile plantar stimulation improve postural control of persons with superficial plantar sensory deficit?

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Abstract

Background and aims: Complex interactions between visual, vestibular and somatosensory information and the cerebellar system are involved in the maintenance of upright posture. Previous studies have shown that normal aging and pathologies may lead to deterioration of the control of upright standing posture. Methods: In order to investigate postural control during quiet standing in the elderly, the center of pressure (CoP) was analysed on two force platforms in three different groups. The first group was composed of 13 healthy older adults (O), the second consisted of 9 older adults with plantar sole deficit (OD), and the third (control) group was composed of 8 young healthy subjects (Y). All subjects were tested with eyes closed, before and after tactile plantar stimulation lasting ten minutes. Center of pressure displacements were analyzed in terms of sway area, mean velocity, and mean root mean square (RMS) along both medio-lateral and antero-posterior axes. Results: Results showed that, before tactile plantar stimulation, the sway area and mean RMS were greater in O and OD subjects compared with Y ones. After tactile plantar stimulation, a decrease in the mean RMS was observed in OD subjects, this effect being significant only for the medio-lateral axis. Conclusions: These results suggest that application of tactile plantar stimulation may compensate a loss of superficial plantar sensitivity.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratoire de Modélisation des Activités Sportives, Domaine Universitaire de Savoie-Technolac, Le Bourget du Lac cedex, France

    Laurence Bernard-Demanze MD, Myriam Ferry & Loetitia Berger

  2. Laboratoire TIMC-IMAG UMR UJF CNRS 5525, Faculté de Médecine de Grenoble, La Tronche cedex, France

    Nicolas Vuillerme

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  1. Laurence Bernard-Demanze MD
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  2. Nicolas Vuillerme
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  3. Myriam Ferry
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  4. Loetitia Berger
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Correspondence to Laurence Bernard-Demanze MD.

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Bernard-Demanze, L., Vuillerme, N., Ferry, M. et al. Can tactile plantar stimulation improve postural control of persons with superficial plantar sensory deficit?. Aging Clin Exp Res 21, 62–68 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03324900

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