Reweighting of Sensory Inputs to Control Quiet Standing in Children from 7 to 11 and in Adults

Abstract

How sensory organization for postural control matures in children is not clear at this time. The present study examined, in children aged 7 to 11 and in adults, the postural control modifications in quiet standing when somatosensory inputs from the ankle were disturbed. Since the reweighting of sensory inputs is not mature before 10, we hypothesized that postural stability was more affected in children than in adults when somatosensory inputs were altered and that this postural instability decreased as age increased during childhood. 37 children aged 7 to 11 years and 9 adults participated in the experiments. The postural task was a semi-tandem position with the right foot in front of the left one. Postural performance was measured by means of a force platform. Two experimental conditions were presented to the participants to maintain quiet standing: With or without altered somatosensory inputs (i.e., with or without ankles vibration). Results showed that postural stability -and thus how the reweighting process of the visual/somatosensory inputs matured- increased non-monotonically between 7 years of age and adult age: There was a linear improvement of postural stability from 7 to 10, followed by a more steady behaviour between 10 and 11 and then postural stability increased to reach the adults' level of performance.

Reliability of postural control measures in children and young adolescents

“…sway measurements-sX and VMdecreased significantly with age in all sensory conditions, indicating an improvement in postural control from childhood to adolescence consistent with that reported by previous posturographic studies [2,4,7,8,10,11,21,31]. When visual information was not available, all of the groups behaved in the same way and differed only from adults in terms of VM, even though there was a decreasing trend; as for sX, the group of 6-year-olds differed from the groups of 11 years and above.…”

“…Postural control requires the organization and integration of somatosensory, visual and vestibular inputs by the central nervous system and the motor control process involved in executing musculoskeletal responses that keep the body within its limits of stability [1]. children's balance control is less developed as compared to adults and postural stability improves progressively with age from childhood to adulthood [2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11].…”

Is Young Age a Limiting Factor When Training Balance? Effects of Child-Oriented Balance Training in Children and Adolescents

“…However, RTD differed significantly among all age groups, indicating that explosive strength and postural control do not develop in parallel in children/adolescents. Our results, therefore, support the assumption that force is continuously and considerably increasing during childhood (7), whereas postural control seems to mature predominantly between the age of 6 and 11 (6,29), and only marginally from 11 to 14 years (2). In line with this, an adult-like balance control can usually be seen around the age of 12-14 years (2,26).…”

Comparação do equilíbrio postural unipodal entre crianças e adultos

“…F -V et al 20 ressaltam que o nível de estabilidade corporal aumenta de acordo com a idade e a organização sensorial. Investigações buscando compreender o desenvolvimento do equilíbrio postural em crianças, de uma forma geral, sugerem uma melhora no equilíbrio à medida que a criança vai amadurecendo 8,15,18,21 . A et al 21 .…”

“…Investigações buscando compreender o desenvolvimento do equilíbrio postural em crianças, de uma forma geral, sugerem uma melhora no equilíbrio à medida que a criança vai amadurecendo 8,15,18,21 . A et al 21 . Dessa forma, com o controle das forças necessárias para realizar as tarefas diárias, um indivíduo deve ser capaz de organizar a informação sensorial, incluindo a informação visual, somatossensorial e vestibular obtendo equilíbrio suficiente para sua execução.…”