Balance control: using motor behavior concepts as tools for assessing and modifying postural adjustments
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Date
2019
Authors
Aloraini, Saleh M.
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Abstract
Balance control is an essential component of standing balance that enables individuals to adopt various postures, react to external perturbations and use anticipatory postural adjustments (APAs) that precede voluntary movements. Impairment to balance control increases the likelihood of falls. Falls are a significant health concern in Canada, especially among older adults and people post-stroke. The increased risk of falling indicates that there is a great need for better understanding of risk factors related to falls and establishing methods for assessing and modifying those risks.
Falls occur as a result of compounding factors that combine and overwhelm an individual’s ability to maintain or regain his or her balance. However, there is ample evidence to suggest that APAs impairment leads to greater likelihood of falls. The field of motor control and learning offers knowledge that can be utilized for researching balance control and postural adjustments. Motor control and learning concepts such as Fitts’ law, focus of attention and the challenge point framework (CPF) can be used to provide important information related to assessing and modifying postural adjustments.
This document is a manuscript-style thesis that includes three studies. This thesis contributes to the literature by providing a knowledge synthesis of studies related to the use of motor behavior concepts among balance control studies. The results of the scoping review suggest that the CPF is a useful method for designing a progressive therapeutic program. Fitts’ law can be used for adjusting the difficulty of balance control tasks. Focus of attention studies indicate that adopting an external focus of attention improves performance during standing balance tasks. Further, this thesis provides preliminary evidence related to the use of motor behavior concepts for improving and assessing APAs. Two studies investigated the effects of adopting different foci of attention among different populations when performing a lower extremity Fitts’ task. The results of both experimental studies suggest that when performing a lower extremity Fitts’ task, adopting an external focus of attention yields better performance among young and older adults and people post-stroke. Moreover, the Fitts’ task used in the studies can distinguish between APAs for different populations (e.g., older and young adults). The beneficial effects of adopting an external focus of attention during postural control tasks could be effective in improving balance control and reducing the risk of falls among individuals with balance impairments (e.g., people post-stroke).
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Keywords
Fitts' law, Focus of attention, Challenge point framework, Balance control, Postural control, Older adults, People post-stroke
Citation
Aloraini, S. M., Gelley, G., Glazebrook, C., Sibley, K. M., Singer, J., & Passmore, S. (2019). Motor behavior concepts in the study of balance: a scoping review. Journal of motor behavior, 1-25.
Aloraini, S. M., Glazebrook, C. M., Sibley, K. M., Singer, J., & Passmore, S. (2019). Anticipatory postural adjustments during a Fitts’ task: Comparing young versus older adults and the effects of different foci of attention. Human movement science, 64, 366-377.
Aloraini, S. M., Glazebrook, C. M., Sibley, K. M., Singer, J., & Passmore, S. (2019). Anticipatory postural adjustments during a Fitts’ task: Comparing young versus older adults and the effects of different foci of attention. Human movement science, 64, 366-377.