Journal of Sports and Motor Development and Learning
Scientific Journal

The effect of cognitive task difficulty and articulation on postural sway

Document Type : Research Paper I Open Access I Released under CC BY-NC 4.0 license

Authors

Rezvan Azimi 1
Behrouz Abdoli 2
Mohammad Ali Sanjari 3
Reza Khosrowabadi 4

1 Department of Behavioral and Cognitive Sciences in Sport, Faculty of Sport Sciences and Health, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran .

2 Department of Behavioral and Cognitive Sciences in Sport, Faculty of Sport Sciences and Health, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran.

3 Department of Basic Rehabilitation Sciences, School of Rehabilitation Sciences and Biomechanics Lab., Rehabilitation Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.

4 Institute for Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran.

https://doi.org/10.22059/jsmdl.2022.342190.1651
Abstract
Introduction: Many studies evaluate the interaction between cognition and posture but the effect of cognitive task difficulty and articulation on postural control remains inconclusive. The purpose of the present study was to examine the interaction effect of cognitive task difficulty and articulation on postural control.
Methods: Twenty healthy young volunteers (Mean age 22 ± 2.3 years) performed four random conditions while standing on a force platform. Conditions involved combinations of two level of cognitive task difficulty (easy and difficult cognitive
task) and two level of verbal response (simultaneous and final).
Results: Two-way ANOVA (significant level P<0.05) results demonstrated marked increased in the standard deviation and area of 95% confidence ellipse of the center of pressure in the difficult cognitive task condition with simultaneous verbal
response. (P<0.05). Also, in the final response condition, difficult cognitive task reduced area of 95% confidence ellipse.
Conclusion: According to the results of the present research, it seems that the difficult cognitive task requires a greater part of attention capacity; subsequently,attention is withdrawn from the postural task and automatic control regulates posture more efficiently through unconscious, fast, and reflexive processes. Also, postural control is simultaneously affected by the difficulty of cognitive task and articulation.Therefore, for designing appropriate interventions, it seems necessary to pay attention to the interactive effects of the difficulty and articulation of cognitive task.

Keywords

Attention
Unconscious control
Dual-task paradigm
Articulation
Postural sway
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Journal of Sports and Motor Development and Learning
Volume 14, Issue 3
Autumn 2022
Pages 69-81

  • Receive Date 27 April 2022
  • Accept Date 25 September 2022

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