How performing a mental arithmetic task modify the regulation of centre of foot pressure displacements during bipedal quiet standing.

Nicolas Vuillerme (1) , Vincent Hervé (2)

1 TIMC-IMAG-SPM - Santé, Plasticité, Motricité
2 LMAS - Laboratoire de modélisation des activités sportives

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.

Mots clés: Postural control; Mental task; Centre of foot pressure; Stabilogram-diffusion analysis

Domaines: Neurosciences [q-bio.NC]

Nicolas Vuillerme, Vincent Hervé. How performing a mental arithmetic task modify the regulation of centre of foot pressure displacements during bipedal quiet standing.. Experimental Brain Research, 2006, 169 (1), pp.130-4. ⟨10.1007/s00221-005-0124-9⟩. ⟨hal-00250361⟩