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How performing a mental arithmetic task modify the regulation of centre of foot pressure displacements during bipedal quiet standing

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Abstract

We investigated the effect of performing a mental arithmetic task with two levels of difficulty on the regulation of centre of foot pressure (COP) displacements during bipedal quiet standing in young healthy individuals. There was also a control condition in which no concurrent task was required. A space-time-domain analysis showed decreased COP displacements, along the antero–posterior axis, when participants concurrently performed the most difficult mental arithmetic task. Frequency-domain and stabilogram-diffusion analyses further suggested these decreased COP displacements to be associated with an increased stiffness and a reduction of the exploratory behaviours in the short term, respectively.

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Acknowledgements

This paper was written while the first author was ATER at Université de Savoie, France. The authors would like to thank Carla B. for various contributions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratoire de Modélisation des Activités Sportives, Université de Savoie, Domaine Universitaire, 73 376, Le Bourget du Lac cédex, France

    Nicolas Vuillerme & Hervé Vincent

  2. Laboratoire des Techniques de l’Imagerie, de la Modélisation et de la Cognition, Institut des Mathématiques Appliquées de Grenoble, Grenoble, France

    Nicolas Vuillerme

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  1. Nicolas Vuillerme
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  2. Hervé Vincent
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Correspondence to Nicolas Vuillerme.

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Vuillerme, N., Vincent, H. How performing a mental arithmetic task modify the regulation of centre of foot pressure displacements during bipedal quiet standing. Exp Brain Res 169, 130–134 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00221-005-0124-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00221-005-0124-9

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