Sensory reweighting after loss of auditory cues in healthy adults.
We maintain our balance using information provided by the visual, somatosensory, and vestibular systems on the position of our body in space. Recent evidence has suggested that auditory input also plays a significant role for postural control, yet further investigations are required to better understand the contributions of audition to this process in healthy adults. To date, the process of sensory reweighting when auditory cues are disturbed during postural control has been overlooked. The aim of this study is to determine the impact of hearing protection on sensory reweighting for postural control in healthy adults. For this, we studied 14 healthy adults on a force platform using four different postural conditions either with or without attenuation of auditory cues. Our results suggest that disturbing auditory cues increases the reliance on visual cues for postural control. This is the first study to demonstrate such a sensory reweighting occurs in the event of a sudden disturbance of auditory cues in healthy adults.
École d'orthophonie et d'audiologie, Université de Montréal, Québec, Montréal, Canada; CIUSSS Centre-Sud-de-l'île-de-Montréal/Institut Raymond-Dewar, Québec, Montréal, Canada.
Maxime
M
Maheu
École d'orthophonie et d'audiologie, Université de Montréal, Québec, Montréal, Canada; CIUSSS Centre-Sud-de-l'île-de-Montréal/Institut Raymond-Dewar, Québec, Montréal, Canada.
Andréanne
A
Sharp
École d'orthophonie et d'audiologie, Université de Montréal, Québec, Montréal, Canada; CIUSSS Centre-Sud-de-l'île-de-Montréal/Institut Raymond-Dewar, Québec, Montréal, Canada.
Simon P
SP
Landry
École d'orthophonie et d'audiologie, Université de Montréal, Québec, Montréal, Canada; CIUSSS Centre-Sud-de-l'île-de-Montréal/Institut Raymond-Dewar, Québec, Montréal, Canada. Electronic address: francois.champoux@umontreal.ca.
François
F
Champoux
D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001307:Auditory Perception; D003463:Cues; D004430:Ear Protective Devices / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D034381:Hearing Loss / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D004856:Postural Balance / Q000502:physiology; D014796:Visual Perception
Balance; Hearing protectors; Postural control; Sensory reweighting