Visual feedback training improves postural adjustments associated with moving obstacle avoidance in elderly women

• Published in: Gait & posture 2009-02, Vol.29 (2), p.296-299
• Main Authors: Hatzitaki, V, Voudouris, D, Nikodelis, T, Amiridis, I.G
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Accidental Falls - prevention & control; Adaptation, Physiological - physiology; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Aging; Aging - physiology; Collision avoidance; Feedback; Female; Humans; Motor Skills; Orthopedics; Postural Balance - physiology; Posture; Psychomotor Performance - physiology; Task Performance and Analysis; Training; Transfer (Psychology); Visual feedback; Visual Perception - physiology
• ISSN: 0966-6362; 1879-2219
• DOI: 10.1016/j.gaitpost.2008.09.011

Abstract The study examined the impact of visually guided weight shifting (WS) practice on the postural adjustments evoked by elderly women when avoiding collision with a moving obstacle while standing. Fifty-six healthy elderly women (70.9 ± 5.7 years, 87.5 ± 9.6 kg) were randomly assigned into one of three groups: a group that completed 12 sessions (25 min, 3 s/week) of WS practice in the Anterior/Posterior direction (A/P group, n = 20), a group that performed the same practice in the medio/lateral direction (M/L group, n = 20) and a control group ( n = 16). Pre- and post-training, participants were tested in a moving obstacle avoidance task. As a result of practice, postural response onset shifted closer to the time of collision with the obstacle. Side-to-side WS resulted in a reduction of the M/L sway amplitude and an increase of the trunk's velocity during avoidance. It is concluded that visually guided WS practice enhances elderly's ability for on-line visuo-motor processing when avoiding collision eliminating reliance on anticipatory scaling. Specifying the direction of WS seems to be critical for optimizing the transfer of training adaptations.