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Balance on different unstable supports: a complementary approach based on linear and non-linear analyses

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Abstract

Maintenance of postural control is a complex task that requires the integration of different sensory-motor processes. To improve postural control, balance training is often implemented using unstable surfaces. Little is known, however, about how different surfaces compare in terms of postural control strategy. Non-linear dynamical system analysis, like recurrent quantification analysis (RQA) applied to the center of pressure (CoP) trajectory, represents a useful tool in this respect. The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of different unstable supports on the CoP trajectory through a complementary approach based on linear and non-linear analyses. Seventeen healthy adults performed barefoot single-leg balance trials on a force plate and on three different balance training devices (soft disc, foam pad, and pillow). Sets of parameters were extracted from the CoP trajectories using classical stabilometric analysis (sway path, mean velocity, root mean square) and RQA (percent recurrence and determinism, maximum line length, entropy). Both classical and RQA analyses highlighted significant differences between stable (force plate) and unstable conditions (p < 0.001). Conversely, only classical stabilometric parameters showed significant differences among the considered balance training devices, indicating that the different characteristics of the devices do not influence the dynamic/temporal structure of the CoP trajectory.

Graphical abstract

Analysis of the center of pressure trajectory during single-leg standing on three different balance training devices and on a rigid surface using both linear and non-linear techniques.

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Abbreviations

AP:

Anteroposterior

CoP:

Center of pressure

ED:

Embedding dimension

Ent:

Entropy

EVA:

Ethylene vinyl acetate

MaxLine:

Maximum line length

ML:

Mediolateral

MV:

Mean velocity

RMS:

Root mean square

RQA:

Recurrent quantification analysis

SP:

Sway path

%Det:

Percent determinism

%Rec:

Percent recurrence

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank all the volunteers who kindly participated in the data acquisition. This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Human Motion Laboratory, MORE Foundation, 18444 N 25th Ave., Suite 110, Phoenix, AZ, 85023, USA

    John McCamley

  2. Center for Research in Human Movement Variability, Department of Biomechanics, University of Nebraska at Omaha, 6160 University Drive South, Omaha, NE, 68182-0860, USA

    John McCamley

  3. Department of Movement, Human and Health Sciences, Interuniversity Centre of Bioengineering of the Human Neuromusculoskeletal System, University of Rome “Foro Italico”, Piazza Lauro de Bosis 15, 00135, Rome, Italy

    Elena Bergamini

  4. Decathlon SportsLab, Movement Sciences Department, 4 Rue Professeur Langevin, 59000, Lille, France

    Eleni Grimpampi

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  1. John McCamley
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Contributions

John McCamley: conceptualization, methodology, software, formal analysis, writing — original draft, writing — review and editing.

Elena Bergamini: conceptualization, methodology, formal analysis, writing — original draft, writing — review and editing, visualization, supervision

Eleni Grimpampi: conceptualization, methodology, software, formal analysis, investigation, resources, data curation, writing — review and editing, project administration, supervision

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Correspondence to Elena Bergamini.

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McCamley, J., Bergamini, E. & Grimpampi, E. Balance on different unstable supports: a complementary approach based on linear and non-linear analyses. Med Biol Eng Comput 60, 863–873 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11517-022-02504-4

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