Suppressing a Blocked Balance Recovery Step: A Novel Method to Assess an Inhibitory Postural Response
Stepping to recover balance is an important way we avoid falling. However, when faced with obstacles in the step path, we must adapt such reactions. Physical obstructions are typically detected through vision, which then cues step modification. The present study describes a novel method to assess vi...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2023-10-01
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| Series: | Brain Sciences |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/13/10/1488 |
| _version_ | 1797574425755779072 |
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| author | David A. E. Bolton Charlie C. Baggett Chase A. Mitton Sara A. Harper James K. Richardson |
| author_facet | David A. E. Bolton Charlie C. Baggett Chase A. Mitton Sara A. Harper James K. Richardson |
| author_sort | David A. E. Bolton |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Stepping to recover balance is an important way we avoid falling. However, when faced with obstacles in the step path, we must adapt such reactions. Physical obstructions are typically detected through vision, which then cues step modification. The present study describes a novel method to assess visually prompted step inhibition in a reactive balance context. In our task, participants recovered balance by quickly stepping after being released from a supported forward lean. On rare trials, however, an obstacle blocked the stepping path. The timing of vision relative to postural perturbation was controlled using occlusion goggles to regulate task difficulty. Furthermore, we explored step suppression in our balance task related to inhibitory capacity measured at the hand using a clinically feasible handheld device (ReacStick). Our results showed that ReacStick and step outcomes were significantly correlated in terms of successful inhibition (r = 0.57) and overall reaction accuracy (r = 0.76). This study presents a novel method for assessing rapid inhibition in a dynamic postural context, a capacity that appears to be a necessary prerequisite to a subsequent adaptive strategy. Moreover, this capacity is significantly related to ReacStick performance, suggesting a potential clinical translation. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T21:23:25Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-4e6329f566f14110940c482429244136 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-3425 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T21:23:25Z |
| publishDate | 2023-10-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Brain Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-4e6329f566f14110940c4824292441362023-11-19T15:53:39ZengMDPI AGBrain Sciences2076-34252023-10-011310148810.3390/brainsci13101488Suppressing a Blocked Balance Recovery Step: A Novel Method to Assess an Inhibitory Postural ResponseDavid A. E. Bolton0Charlie C. Baggett1Chase A. Mitton2Sara A. Harper3James K. Richardson4Department of Kinesiology and Health Science, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322, USADepartment of Kinesiology and Health Science, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322, USADepartment of Kinesiology and Health Science, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322, USADepartment of Kinesiology and Health Science, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322, USADepartment of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USAStepping to recover balance is an important way we avoid falling. However, when faced with obstacles in the step path, we must adapt such reactions. Physical obstructions are typically detected through vision, which then cues step modification. The present study describes a novel method to assess visually prompted step inhibition in a reactive balance context. In our task, participants recovered balance by quickly stepping after being released from a supported forward lean. On rare trials, however, an obstacle blocked the stepping path. The timing of vision relative to postural perturbation was controlled using occlusion goggles to regulate task difficulty. Furthermore, we explored step suppression in our balance task related to inhibitory capacity measured at the hand using a clinically feasible handheld device (ReacStick). Our results showed that ReacStick and step outcomes were significantly correlated in terms of successful inhibition (r = 0.57) and overall reaction accuracy (r = 0.76). This study presents a novel method for assessing rapid inhibition in a dynamic postural context, a capacity that appears to be a necessary prerequisite to a subsequent adaptive strategy. Moreover, this capacity is significantly related to ReacStick performance, suggesting a potential clinical translation.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/13/10/1488response inhibitionreactive balanceReacStickstepping |
| spellingShingle | David A. E. Bolton Charlie C. Baggett Chase A. Mitton Sara A. Harper James K. Richardson Suppressing a Blocked Balance Recovery Step: A Novel Method to Assess an Inhibitory Postural Response Brain Sciences response inhibition reactive balance ReacStick stepping |
| title | Suppressing a Blocked Balance Recovery Step: A Novel Method to Assess an Inhibitory Postural Response |
| title_full | Suppressing a Blocked Balance Recovery Step: A Novel Method to Assess an Inhibitory Postural Response |
| title_fullStr | Suppressing a Blocked Balance Recovery Step: A Novel Method to Assess an Inhibitory Postural Response |
| title_full_unstemmed | Suppressing a Blocked Balance Recovery Step: A Novel Method to Assess an Inhibitory Postural Response |
| title_short | Suppressing a Blocked Balance Recovery Step: A Novel Method to Assess an Inhibitory Postural Response |
| title_sort | suppressing a blocked balance recovery step a novel method to assess an inhibitory postural response |
| topic | response inhibition reactive balance ReacStick stepping |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/13/10/1488 |
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