Article

The aim of this study was to investigate whether balance control during a static
upright standing task with and without balance perturbations elicits a significant and meaningful metabolic energy demand and to test whether this
energy demand correlates with conventional posturography measures for balance
control. Ten healthy subjects were assessed in four 4-min upright standing conditions on a force platform while energy consumption was measured using open
circuit respirometry. In the reference condition subjects stood upright in
parallel stance without balance perturbation (PS). In the other conditions
balance was perturbed by placing the subjects in tandem stance (TS), in tandem
stance blind folded (TSBF) and in tandem stance on a balance board (TSBB). Gross
and net energy consumption was assessed and various conventional posturography
measures were derived from the excursion of the center of pressure (CoP) of the
ground reaction force. Energy consumption was substantially affected by all
balance perturbations, compared to the reference condition. The highest increase
in energy consumption was found for the TSBF condition (increase of 0.86 J kg(-1)s(-1) or 60% of PS). Significant correlations were found between energy
consumption and posturography measures. The strongest correlation was found
between gross energy consumption and the CoP path and normalized CoP path along
the anterior-posterior axis (resp. r=0.57 and r=0.66, p<0.001). It was concluded that the effort for balance control can elicit a meaningful metabolic energy
demand. Conventional posturography provided significant, though moderate,
predictors of this metabolic effort for balance control.

Langue : ANGLAIS