title: The effects of an attentional demand tasks on standing posture control.
abstract: The present study sought to determine if the postural sway of a subject required to grasp a tray (motor task) holding a cup filled with water and prevent spilling (mental task), would be reduced by consciously redirecting attention to maintain the tray in a horizontal position. We hypothesized the mental task would increase the stabilization of standing postural balance. Postural sway was measured in 17 normal subjects under the following conditions: 1) holding a 100 g weight in each hand (total 200 g; no mental task), 2) holding with both hands a tray on which 200 g was placed (tray-holding task), and 3) holding with both hands a tray on which a cup filled with water weighing 200 g was placed in the center (mental task). Postural sway was significantly reduced during the mental task versus other tasks. Standing posture balance was stabilized when a mental task was added. Thus, we concluded that higher brain functions such as attention and consciousness exerted a significant influence over the control of standing posture.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Health and Science, Kio University, Nara, Japan. s.morioka@kio.ac.jp
authors.forename: Shu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Morioka
authors.forename: Makoto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hiyamizu
authors.forename: Fumio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Yagi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology*; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011187:Posture / Q000502:physiology*; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis