title: Mirror versus stationary cross feedback in controlling the center of foot pressure displacement in quiet standing in elderly subjects.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effect of mirror feedback on postural control during quiet standing in elderly adults.
  
  
  METHODS
  Before and after intervention trials.
  
  
  METHODS
  Pneumology center in France.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eleven elderly adults (mean age, 70.7+/-4.6 y; mean body weight, 64.5+/-15.0 kg; mean height, 161.4+/-12.0 cm).
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants were asked to stand upright, as immobile as possible, in 2 eyes-open and mirror-feedback conditions. The latter experimental condition consisted of supplying the subjects with their frontal reflection by positioning a mirror in front of them.
  
  
  METHODS
  Foot center of pressure (COP) displacements in the mediolateral (ML) and anteroposterior (AP) directions were recorded using a force platform.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mirror-feedback condition had different effects on postural sway, depending on the direction: range, variability, and maximal instantaneous speed of the COP displacements decreased in the ML direction, whereas these effects remained unchanged in the AP direction.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study provided evidence that mirror feedback may put elderly adults at lower risk of falling.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire Sport et Performance Motrice, Université Joseph Fourier-Grenoble 1, France.
authors.forename: Jacques
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vaillant
authors.forename: Nicolas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Vuillerme
authors.forename: Audrey
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Janvy
authors.forename: François
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Louis
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Juvin
authors.forename: Vincent
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Nougier
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D030141:Feedback, Psychological; D005528:Foot / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008328:Man-Machine Systems; D004856:Postural Balance / Q000502:physiology*; D011187:Posture / Q000502:physiology*; D011312:Pressure; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology*