Article

This study investigated the effect of unilateral Achilles tendon vibration on
postural response in children and young adults during standing. Thirty healthy
subjects participated in this study including ten 6-year-old children (YC group),
ten 10-year-old children (OC group), and ten young adults (YA group).
Eight-second vibration was elicited in each trial from a small vibrator attached
above the right Achilles tendon when participants stood barefoot on a force
platform. Three 40-s trials were collected under both eyes-open and eyes-closed
conditions. Center of pressure (COP) was calculated to examine postural response
during the pre-vibration, vibration and post-vibration phases. Results show that
both the YC and OC groups had a greater COP average velocity than the YA group in
all three phases. Tendon vibration induced a directionally specific postural
response in all three groups such that the onset of vibration induced a posterior
and medial COP shift during the vibration phase, and the offset of vibration
induced an anterior and lateral COP shift during the post-vibration phase. Timing
of the maximal COP shift was comparable among three groups in both
anterior-posterior (AP) and medial-lateral (ML) directions. However, only the OC
group showed an adult-like magnitude of the maximal COP shift during the
post-vibration phase in the AP direction. These results suggest that 6-year-old
children may start showing an adult-like directionally specific response and
temporal parameter to tendon vibration during standing; however, the development
of an adult-like spatial postural response to tendon vibration may take more than 10 years.
CI - Published by Elsevier B.V.
- Enfant

Langue : ANGLAIS