How performing a mental arithmetic task modify the regulation of centre of foot pressure displacements during bipedal quiet standing.
We investigated the effect of performing a mental arithmetic task with two levels of difficulty on the regulation of centre of foot pressure (COP) displacements during bipedal quiet standing in young healthy individuals. There was also a control condition in which no concurrent task was required. A space-time-domain analysis showed decreased COP displacements, along the antero-posterior axis, when participants concurrently performed the most difficult mental arithmetic task. Frequency-domain and stabilogram-diffusion analyses further suggested these decreased COP displacements to be associated with an increased stiffness and a reduction of the exploratory behaviours in the short term, respectively.
Vuillerme
Nicolas
N
Laboratoire de Modélisation des Activités Sportives, Université de Savoie, Domaine Universitaire, 73 376 Le Bourget du Lac cédex, France. nicolas.vuillerme@univ-savoie.fr
Vincent
Hervé
H
D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001288:Attention; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D005260:Female; D005528:Foot; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008433:Mathematics; D008606:Mental Processes / Q000502:physiology*; D004856:Postural Balance; D011187:Posture / Q000502:physiology*; D011312:Pressure; D011597:Psychomotor Performance; D011930:Reaction Time; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis