title: Changes in postural control during a 48-hr. sleep deprivation period.
abstract: Sleep deprivation has detrimental effects on cognitive abilities; however, there has been limited investigation into the effects of sleep deprivation on postural control or influence of time of day on postural control measures. Therefore, we measured postural control on a force plate every 6 hr. in 24 subjects (11 women, 13 men; M age 20 +/- 2.1 yr.; M height 1.68+/-0.29 m; body mass 63.3 +/- 28.7 kg) participating in a 48-hr. dance marathon. During the first 24-hr. period, postural control significantly worsened. Rather than a steady decrease in postural control, during the second day of the event a repeating oscillatory trend of fluctuations in postural control was observed for both days of the event. We hypothesize that the repeating oscillation of postural control followed a circadian rhythm pattern, suggesting that sleep deprivation for 48 hr. does not influence measures of postural control in a consistent manner. The apparent influence of time of day on postural control measures warrants consideration of this factor when conducting studies with repeated measures of postural control across different days.
authors.affiliation: University of Toledo, OH 43606, USA. phillip.gribble@utoledo.edu
authors.forename: Phillip A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Gribble
authors.forename: Jay
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hertel
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008960:Models, Psychological; D011187:Posture; D012892:Sleep Deprivation