Developmental changes of static standing balance in children

The purpose of the present experiment was to investigate the time course by which children aged 6-, 8- and 10-year-old adapt and maintain their static balance. Participants ( N = 30) were required to stand on a force platform with their eyes closed. Ten adult subjects served as a reference group. We...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Neuroscience letters 2005-03, Vol.376 (2), p.133-136
Main Authors: Rival, Christina, Ceyte, Hadrien, Olivier, Isabelle
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Age Factors
Biological and medical sciences
Biomechanical Phenomena
Biomechanics
Child
Children
Cognitive Sciences
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Humans
Life Sciences
Musculoskeletal Equilibrium
Neurons and Cognition
Non-linear development
Postural Balance - physiology
Posture
Posture - physiology
Proprioception
Proprioception - physiology
Static balance
Time Factors
Upright stance
Vertebrates: nervous system and sense organs
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:The purpose of the present experiment was to investigate the time course by which children aged 6-, 8- and 10-year-old adapt and maintain their static balance. Participants ( N = 30) were required to stand on a force platform with their eyes closed. Ten adult subjects served as a reference group. We analyzed moment-to-moment modifications of quiet stance equilibrium by measuring the range and speed of the center of foot pressure (COP) displacements over time (i.e., periods of 2 s). Results showed that: (1) with age, the range of the COP decreased non-monotonically, with a maximum at 8 years of age, whereas the speed of the COP decreased linearly from 6 to 10 years of age, and (2) over time, both parameters decreased and stabilized, similarly for all age groups, suggesting that the processes underlying the maintenance of an optimal postural stability are mature at least as soon as 6 years of age.
ISSN:0304-3940
1872-7972
DOI:10.1016/j.neulet.2004.11.042