Stroke and traumatic brain injury commonly result in a reduction of standing or sitting stability and an increase the risk of a serious fall. It is therefore important to determine how postural coordination and balance are maintained under conditions that challenge balance. Recent experimental and modeling studies suggest that both ankle and hip dominant strategies are present concurrently and can be selected in response to balance disturbances. The objective of this study was to examine the response of an individual standing on a sinusoidally translating platform and to determine conditions that initiate changes between postural control strategies. Results indicate that most subjects were able to “tune” the response of the ankle, knee, and hip to reduce motion and effort.
postural control, balance, falls, whole-body-vibration, moving platform
Supported by the Henry H. Kessler Foundation
W. Thomas Edwards, Ph.D.
Rehabilitation Engineering
Kessler Medical Rehabilitation Research and Education Corporation
1199 Pleasant Valley Way
West Orange, New Jersey 07052 Phone: 973-324-3539
Email: tedwards@kmrrec.org
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