Balance Ability And Brain Activation Characteristic In Adolescents With Typically Developing

PURPOSE: This study aims to investigate the differences in balance ability and brain activation characteristic between non-perturbation and perturbation conditions in adolescents with typically developing (TD). METHODS: Twenty-one adolescents with TD were recruited (13 males, 8 females; age = 16 ± 0.8 years, height = 172.2 ± 8.1 cm, weight = 55.9 ± 6.2 kg). Balance ability represented by the Root Mean Squared (RMS), Sway Path (SP) and Mean Velocity (MV) of the Center of Pressure (COP) in Anterior-Posterior (AP) and the Medial-Lateral (ML) directions and 95% confidence ellipse area of the COP movements (95% eArea), which were measured with an AMTI force platform in the non-perturbation and perturbation conditions for a duration of 30 seconds. Brain activation characteristic was recorded using a fNIRS system. Data were analyzed using the Paired Sample T test for comparison between conditions. RESULTS: The Paired Sample T test indicated that 95% eArea(non-perturbation:1509.55 ± 894.98 mm2, perturbation: 4463.19 ± 3041.99 mm2,p < 0.001),RMS(non-perturbation:6.46 ± 2.04 mm, perturbation:8.81 ± 2.74 mm,p < 0.001),RMS-ML(non-perturbation:5.62 ± 2.03 mm, perturbation: 8.30 ± 2.62 mm,p < 0.001) ,SP(non-perturbation:308.80 ± 58.04 mm,perturbation: 479.58 ± 152.51 mm, p < 0.001),SP-AP(non-perturbation:173.06 ± 43.69 mm, perturbation:205.03 ± 54.17 mm,p = 0.003),SP-ML(non-perturbation:215.58 ± 34.94 mm, perturbation:377.07 ± 139.11 mm,p < 0.001),MV(non-perturbation:10.29 ± 1.93 mm/s,perturbation:15.99 ± 5.08 mm/s, p < 0.001),MV-AP(non-perturbation:5.77 ± 1.46 mm/s, perturbation:6.83 ± 1.81 mm/s, p = 0.003),MV-ML(non-perturbation: 7.19 ± 1.16 mm/s, perturbation:12.57 ± 4.64 mm/s, p < 0.001) in the perturbation conditions were significantly higher than the non-perturbation. In addition, the HbO2 concentration(non-perturbation:-5.51 ± 10.27 mmol/l, perturbation:-1.00 ± 10.54 mmol/L,p = 0.036) of supplementary motor area in the non-perturbation conditions were significantly higher than the perturbation. CONCLUSION: The balance ability and brain activation characteristic in the perturbation conditions was poorer in the adolescents with TD than the non-perturbation, especially in the ML directions.