Article

Biofeedback is known to improve postural control and reduce postural sway.
However, the effects that different biofeedback modes (coding for more or less
complex movement information) may have on postural control improvement are still
poorly investigated. In addition, most studies do not take into account the
effects of spontaneous motor learning from repetition of a task when
investigating biofeedback-induced improvement in postural control. In this study,
we compared the effects of four different modes of audio-biofeedback (ABF),
including direction and/or magnitude of sway information or just a
non-specific-direction alarm, on the postural sway of 13 young healthy adults
standing on a continuously rotating surface. Compared to the
non-specific-direction alarm, ABF of continuous postural sway direction and/or
amplitude resulted in larger postural sway reduction in the beginning of the
experiment. However, over time, spontaneous postural motor learning flattened the
effects of the different modes of ABF so that the alarm was as effective as more
complex information about body sway. Nevertheless, motor learning did not make
ABF useless, since all modes of ABF further reduced postural sway, even after
subjects learned the task. All modes of ABF resulted in improved multi-segmental
control of posture and stabilized the trunk-in-space. Spontaneous motor learning
also improved multi-segmental control of posture but not trunk-in-space
stabilization as much as ABF. In conclusion, although practice standing on a
perturbing surface improved postural stability, the more body sway information
provided to subjects using ABF, the greater the additional improvement in
postural stability.
CI - Copyright (c) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Langue : ANGLAIS