title: The effects of diabetes and/or peripheral neuropathy in detecting short postural perturbations in mature adults.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study explored the effects of diabetes mellitus (DM) and peripheral neuropathy (PN) on the ability to detect near-threshold postural perturbations.
  
  
  METHODS
  83 subjects participated; 32 with type II DM (25 with PN and 7 without PN), 19 with PN without DM, and 32 without DM or PN. Peak acceleration thresholds for detecting anterior platform translations of 1 mm, 4 mm, and 16 mm displacements were determined. A 2(DM) × 2(PN) factorial MANCOVA with weight as a covariate was calculated to compare acceleration detection thresholds among subjects who had DM or did not and who had PN or did not.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was a main effect for DM but not for PN. Post hoc analysis revealed that subjects with DM required higher accelerations to detect a 1 mm and 4 mm displacement.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings suggest that PN may not be the only cause of impaired balance in people with DM. Clinicians should be aware that diabetes itself might negatively impact the postural control system.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Therapy, Clarkson University, Potsdam, NY, USA. gfulk@clarkson.edu
authors.forename: George D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Fulk
authors.forename: Charles J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Robinson
authors.forename: Sumona
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mondal
authors.forename: Christopher M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Storey
authors.forename: Anne M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Hollister
mesh_terms: D000054:Acceleration; D000368:Aged; D000465:Algorithms; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000150:complications; D003929:Diabetic Neuropathies / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004576:Electromyography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D035002:Lower Extremity / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010523:Peripheral Nervous System Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010812:Physical Stimulation; D004856:Postural Balance / Q000502:physiology*; D011187:Posture / Q000502:physiology*; D011601:Psychophysics; D012677:Sensation / Q000502:physiology; D012684:Sensory Thresholds / Q000502:physiology