| Autor: |
Meir G; Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel., Katz A; Barzilai Medical Center and the Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel., Berdichevsky Y; Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel., Reiner-Benaim A; Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Community Health Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Public Health, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel., Melzer I; Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel. |
| Abstrakt: |
An unannounced balance loss during walking, i.e., balance perturbation, is a stressful event, which changes the activity of the sympathetic nervous system (SNS). We examined SNS response to unannounced balance perturbation during walking, simulating real-life condition of balance loss. We asked: do laboratory-induced unannounced balance losses during walking cause a sympathetic response, and-if so-does it habituate after a series of perturbations? Thirty-four young adults underwent a series of six successive unannounced balance perturbations while walking on a treadmill. Sympathetic activity was monitored continuously using electrodermal activity and compared before and immediately after each unannounced perturbation. All perturbations elicited a significant increase of electrodermal activity ( P < 0.001), indicating a phasic increase in the sympathetic drive. The relative phasic increase of electrodermal activity caused by the first perturbation was significantly higher than the last perturbation ( P < 0.05). Three different types of electrodermal activity behavior were observed: steady-level tonic SNS activity, increased SNS activity, and decreased SNS activity. Balance loss during walking triggers phasic SNS response, this response habituates after a series of unannounced balance perturbations. In addition, three distinct patterns of tonic sympathetic activity may imply variations in the ability of the SNS response to habituate across individuals. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Up to date, the literature typically provides information about sympathetic nervous system activity and relatively static balance. We believe that exposing participants to a balance loss during walking, i.e., unexpected perturbation, provides a more ecologically valid situation to measure sympathetic nervous system response; this provides new and vital knowledge that can have a significant impact and understanding of how the SNS responds to a loss of balance in a real-life situation. |
