The effect of unilateral balance training on postural control of the contralateral limb

Abstract

To investigate the impact of unilateral balance training on postural control of the trained and contralateral limb in healthy elderly. Fifty-one healthy old adults were randomly assigned into training group (TG) and control group (CG). Participants of the TG performed unilateral balance training (dominant (DOM) leg) over 4 weeks (4×/week). Centre of pressure analysis was performed at baseline, 5 weeks follow-up and 9 weeks follow-up under the following conditions: (1) one-leg stance without additional task, (2) one-leg stance with motor task and (3) one-leg stance with cognitive task. From baseline to 5 weeks follow-up, a mixed analysis of variance detected a significant time × group interaction for the DOM leg (P < 0.05), indicating higher improvement of the TG in comparison to CG. No significant interaction effect was found for the non-DOM leg. Within the TG, the non-DOM leg significantly improved in mean velocity (P = 0.001) and anterior-posterior range (P < 0.001). Unilateral balance training was effective to improve postural control of the trained leg. The effect on the contralateral leg was small and not significant within this study design. Improvements were retained after 4 weeks without training. A tendency is given that unilateral balance training might be beneficial to improve postural control of the contralateral leg.

3D Analysis of Upper Limbs Motion during Rehabilitation Exercises Using the KinectTM Sensor: Development, Laboratory Validation and Clinical Application

“…In the case of asymmetric pathologies (e.g., hemiplegia), results of the affected limb can be compared with the healthy one [ 49 ].…”

Cross-Education Related to the Ipsilateral Limb Activity on Monopedal Postural Control of the Contralateral Limb: A Review

“…All the studies carried out on the basis of balance training (in various postural conditions: static, dynamic, unstable, progressive postural difficulty, with or without sensory manipulation) show that ipsilateral and/or contralateral monopedal postural control was improved after periods of 3-5 sessions weekly for 4-8 weeks (Rasool and George, 2007;Oliveira et al, 2013;Hale et al, 2014;El-Gohary et al, 2016;Schlenstedt et al, 2017). By contrast, the effects of resistance training of the ipsilateral limb on the contralateral monopedal postural control are much less clear since Kim et al (2011) reported that contralateral monopedal postural control was improved after 4 sessions weekly for 2 weeks while Kadri et al (2017) concluded that contralateral monopedal postural control was not improved after 3 sessions weekly for 8 weeks with either voluntary contractions or electro-induced contractions.…”

“…Improvement in monopedal postural control of the contralateral limb after balance training can be ascribed to neural adaptations (Rasool and George, 2007;Oliveira et al, 2013;Hale et al, 2014;El-Gohary et al, 2016;Schlenstedt et al, 2017). The studies that have evaluated the effects of resistance training are not as clear and unanimous (Kim et al, 2011;Kadri et al, 2017).…”

“…Thus, the neural adaptations accompanying the cross-education phenomenon can be illustrated through two assumptions. The first one would mean that resistance training engenders changes in the organization of motor pathways projecting to the contralateral homologous muscle, while the second one involves resistance training as a form of motor learning (Carroll et al, 2006;Schlenstedt et al, 2017). The control and execution of postural tasks of the trained limb could be improved through changes in circuits that may be accessible by the opposite hemisphere.…”

Effects of Reach Balance Exercise on Toe Grip Strength and Balance in College Basketball Players

“…Schlenstedt et al 15) reported that the distance of the COP shift in the front-back direction decreased significantly after single-leg balance exercise. Therefore, we can expect that single-leg reach balance training will improve the toe grip strength and stabilize the COP position.…”