On the introduction of a new parameter for the analysis of posture by acceleration of the centre of pressure.
OBJECTIVE
With this study we wanted to determine whether the standard parameters for describing posture are sufficient.


METHODS
The time-series analysis of statokinesigrams of 50 healthy volunteers and Parkinsonian subjects, the latter representing an excellent example of persons affected by a postural control disorder, were assessed and compared. The tests were carried out using a new parameter ''p'', which is introduced with this work. The novel parameter is adimensional and independent of the subjects' anthropometric data and can be easily computed with elementary mathematics.


RESULTS
Parameter ''p'' was found to discriminate healthy subjects from parkinsonians (as an example of subjects affected by a disease of the central control system).


CONCLUSIONS
A new tool for the early diagnosis of disease of the central control system could theoretically be developed from our results.
Pascolo
P B
PB
Functional Mechanics Laboratory, University of Udine, Udine, Italy. p.pascolo@dic.uniud.it
Marini
A
A
D000054:Acceleration; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D003936:Diagnosis, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011187:Posture / Q000502:physiology*; D011312:Pressure