A "wait and learn" strategy of postural control learning in children?

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Tjernström, Fredrik^{; *} | Oredsson, Jennie | Magnusson, Måns

Affiliations: Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, University Hospital of Lund, 221 85 Lund, Sweden

Correspondence: [*] Corresponding author: Fredrik Tjernström, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University Hospital of Lund, 221 85 Lund, Sweden. Tel.: +4646 171770; Fax: +4646 2110968; E-mail: [email protected]

Abstract: This study compares the children and adult response to a novel postural challenge. One group of children (n=13, age 7–9) and one adult reference group (n=12 age 15–32) were subjected to vibration induced body sway and posturography with both open and closed eyes for 5 consecutive days. There was a gradual decrease of induced body sway over time in both groups (p< 0.001) between the subsequent trials, but only in the adult group was there a reduction of induced body sway over time within each trial (p< 0.05). The children had on a considerably less level of induced body sway when they started the second trial than they finished the first (p< 0.01). There appears to be a different approach of adaptation to a new postural challenge between children and adults.

Keywords: Adaptation, posture, motor-memory, children, development

DOI: 10.3233/VES-2006-16602

Journal: Journal of Vestibular Research, vol. 16, no. 6, pp. 257-264, 2006