The maintenance of body posture relies on mechanoreceptors, suggesting myofascial release could assist postural control. The effects of this have not been well documented, providing room for this investigation. Twenty-one female athletes spent approximately 2.5 minutes foam rolling the calf and thigh muscles on one leg then repeated on opposite leg for a total of 5 minutes. Center of Pressure (CoP) and Limit of Stability (LoS) were assessed using a Bertec posturography plate before (pre-) and after (post-) foam rolling. CoP was measured with eyes open stable surface (EOSS), or eyes closed stable surface (ECSS) and perturbed surface both eyes open (EOPS) and eye closed (ECPS). conditions. LoS was evaluated in the Anterior, Posterior, Left, and Right Directions. A significant effect of Condition for CoP showed ECPS Condition was greatest at both pre- and post-foam rolling (p<0.001). A significant main effect of Direction (p<0.001) showed LoS was greatest in the frontal plane Directions compared to sagittal plane (p<0.01). A significant effect of Time (p<0.05) indicated LoS decreased from Pre- to Post-foam rolling (mean change = 0.569 cm). The study demonstrated that acute effects of self-myofascial release via foam-rolling of the lower extremities can influence postural control.

[Purpose] This study aimed to clarify the changes in the scapulothoracic joint and upper trunk angles and postural control during right-left hand-behind-back (HBB) movement. [Participants and Methods] The participants were 20 healthy right-handed men. We measured the HBB movement while standing using a three-dimensional motion capture system. Changes in the internal rotation angle of the scapulothoracic joint, upper trunk rotation angle, and center of pressure (COP) were examined to assess potential right-left differences between the analyzed positions. [Results] As the thumb touched the buttocks, upper trunk contralateral and scapulothoracic joint internal rotations were observed and the COP on the non-HBB side was significantly displaced laterally. There were no right-left differences in the changes between the analyzed positions for all measures. [Conclusion] Upper trunk contralateral rotation and postural control were conducted without right-left differences during HBB movement. These results suggest that upper trunk movement and standing postural control are involved in HBB movement. Therefore, it is useful to focus on the scapulothoracic joint angle, upper trunk rotation angle, and standing postural control during physical therapy evaluation and treatment with HBB movement.

This paper proposes a scheme for predicting ground reaction force (GRF) and center of pressure (CoP) using low-cost FSR sensors. GRF and CoP data are commonly collected from smart insoles to analyze the wearer\'s gait and diagnose balance issues. This approach can be utilized to improve a user\'s rehabilitation process and enable customized treatment plans for patients with specific diseases, making it a useful technology in many fields. However, the conventional measuring equipment for directly monitoring GRF and CoP values, such as F-Scan, is expensive, posing a challenge to commercialization in the industry. To solve this problem, this paper proposes a technology to predict relevant indicators using only low-cost Force Sensing Resistor (FSR) sensors instead of expensive equipment. In this study, data were collected from subjects simultaneously wearing a low-cost FSR Sensor and an F-Scan device, and the relationship between the collected data sets was analyzed using supervised learning techniques. Using the proposed technique, an artificial neural network was constructed that can derive a predicted value close to the actual F-Scan values using only the data from the FSR Sensor. In this process, GRF and CoP were calculated using six virtual forces instead of the pressure value of the entire sole. It was verified through various simulations that it is possible to achieve an improved prediction accuracy of more than 30% when using the proposed technique compared to conventional prediction techniques.

BACKGROUND: The center of pressure (COP) excursion parameters are recognized as risk factors for the etiology and development of patellofemoral pain (PFP). The purpose of the present study measures the effect of pain exacerbation on COP excursion, and the correlation between pain intensity and COP excursion in women with PFP during single leg squat (SLS).
METHODS: Sixty patients with PFP participated in this cross-sectional study. The outcome measures were included pain intensity and COP excursion which evaluated in pre and post pain exacerbation during SLS. The COP parameters were evaluated during single leg squat in 60° of knee flexion. A paired t-test and MANOVA was used to compare pain intensity and COP excursion between the two conditions, respectively. Furthermore, A Pearson\'s correlation matrix was used to examine the relationship between pain intensity with COP excursion.
RESULTS: Statistical analysis showed that pain intensity (t = - 16.655, p < 0.001) and COP excursion (Wilks\' Lambda = 0.225, p < 0.001) with medium effect size increased after PFJ loading. In addition, an excellent positive correlation was observed between increased in pain intensity and COP excursion (P < 0.001, r > 0.80).
CONCLUSIONS: After PFJ loading, women with PFP presented increases in the pain intensity, COP excursions, and sway velocity. In addition, there was an association between the increase in pain intensity and COP excursions. Clinicians aiming to improve postural control of patients with PFP could use kinesio taping as a short-term intervention and balance training to improvements in postural control at medium and long-term. Furthermore, emphasizing psychological factors to reducing kinesiophobia can be useful to restoring proper movement pattern, reducing pain and improving symptoms.

UNASSIGNED: Differences in motor control between the lower limbs may influence the risk of sports injury and recovery from rehabilitation. In this study, differences in the visual feedback ability of the left and right lower limbs were assessed using visual target tracking tasks.
UNASSIGNED: Thirty-four healthy young subjects (aged 20.4 ± 1.2 years) were asked to move their bodies back and forth while tracking a visual target displayed on a monitor in front of them for 30 s. The two target motions were sinusoidal (i.e., predictable patterns) and more complex (random) patterns. To assess the ability of the lower limbs to follow visual target tracking, antero-posterior CoP (right limb, CoPap-r; left limb, CoPap-l) and medio-lateral CoP (right limb, CoPml-r; left limb, CoPml-l) data were measured using a stabilometer. Tracking ability by visual feedback ability was calculated as the difference in displacement between the target signal and the trajectories of the right and left pressure centers as trapezoidal areas, and a smaller sum of area (SoA) over the entire measurement time was defined as a greater tracking ability.
UNASSIGNED: Regarding the SoA in the anterior-posterior CoP, the mean SoA in the sinusoidal and random tasks was significantly lower in the CoP-r data than in the CoP-l data, indicating that the right lower limb had a more remarkable ability to follow visual target tracking. Regarding the SoA in the medial-lateral direction (CoP), the mean SoA in the sinusoidal and random tasks did not significantly differ between the two legs.
UNASSIGNED: The right lower limb may have a tracking function activated by the target signal when responding to visual stimuli. Identifying the motor strategies of each lower limb in response to visual stimuli will not only help identify potential differences between each lower limb but also suggest the possibility of enhancing the role of each lower limb in balance control.

OBJECTIVE: This study compared postural control and neuromuscular activation in athletic swimmers (A-S) and non-athletic swimmers (N-A-S) in older children.
METHODS: Ten A-S and ten N-A-S underwent assessments of center of pressure (CoP) parameters under static and dynamic surfaces in two directions (dynamic mediolateral (DML) and dynamic anteroposterior (DAP)) in eyes-open (EO) and eyes-closed (EC) conditions, and electromyography (EMG) parameters under DAP and DML directions in EO and EC conditions.
RESULTS: Results showed that A-S demonstrated significantly superior postural control (p < 0.05), with smaller CoP area and lower CoP mean velocity compared with N-A-S, particularly in static with EC, DAP with EO and EC, and DML with EO conditions. A-S exhibited significantly larger neuromuscular activation amplitudes (p < 0.05), especially in the AP direction.
CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggested that athletic swimming training may enhance postural control and neuromuscular activation in 11-13-year-old children, emphasizing the potential benefits of incorporating swimming exercises in these children.

OBJECTIVE: To assess postural stability, specifically center of body sway during single-leg standing balance, among individuals with and without forward head posture (FHP) during smartphone use.
METHODS: The research recruited 53 healthy smartphone users, aged 18-25, and categorized them into FHP group comprising 26 subjects and the normal (control) group with 27 subjects. Participants were assigned the task of maintaining balance while engaged in smartphone typing during single-leg standing. The experiment involved four specific conditions according to neck posture and stable of surface. The study meticulously quantified body center of pressure (COP) sway amplitudes using the Nintendo Wii Balance Board.
RESULTS: The research revealed that individuals with FHP exhibited significantly greater body sway compared to the control group when using smartphones. Notably, distinct variations were observed in path length sway, anteroposterior (AP), and mediolateral (ML) sway amplitude, particularly evident when maintaining flexed neck positions on a soft surface while engaged with smartphones.
CONCLUSIONS: These findings strongly suggest that individuals with FHP encounter deteriorated postural stability during smartphone use, particularly in challenging head positions.

UNASSIGNED: Studies investigating postural balance during various infant care postures have not been reported yet.
UNASSIGNED: The aim of this study was to measure static postural balance when holding an infant dummy in-arms and carrying an infant dummy on back according to different infant dummy weights.
UNASSIGNED: Sixteen healthy young subjects participated in a balance test. Infant dummies with weights of 4.6 kg (1-month) and 9.8 kg (12-month) were used in this study. All subjects were asked to naturally stand on a force platform in two infant care postures (holding an infant in-arms and carrying an infant on one\'s back). Center of pressure (COP) was measured from the force platform. Quantitative variables were derived from the COP. Two-way repeated measure analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed to determine main effects of infant care postures, infant weight, and their interactions on COP variables.
UNASSIGNED: Back carrying a 12-month infant dummy had the greatest amplitude in all COP variables. Back carrying posture showed significantly greater mean distance and peak power, faster mean velocity, and wider COP area compared to holding posture (P< 0.05). There were significant weight effects of most COP variables mainly in AP direction (P< 0.01).
UNASSIGNED: Our results could contribute to the prevention of musculoskeletal diseases or prevention of fall due to various infant care activities by developing an assisting device to improve postural balance.

UNASSIGNED: In patients with idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH), the characteristics of balance disturbance are not as well understood as those related to gait. This study examined changes in postural stability in quiet standing after the cerebrospinal fluid tap test (CSFTT) in these patients. Furthermore, the study explored the relationship between the amount of spontaneous body sway and both gait and executive function.
UNASSIGNED: All patients diagnosed with iNPH underwent CSFTT. We evaluated their center of pressure (COP) measurements on a force plate during quiet standing, both pre- and post-CSFTT. Following the COP measurements, we calculated COP parameters using time and frequency domain analysis and assessed changes in these parameters after CSFTT. At pre-CSFTT, we assessed the Timed Up and Go (TUG) and the Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB). We investigated the relationship between COP parameters and the TUG and FAB scores at pre-CSFTT.
UNASSIGNED: A total of 72 patients with iNPH were initially enrolled, and 56 patients who responded positively to CSFTT were finally included. Post-CSFTT, significant improvements were observed in COP parameters through time domain analysis. These included the velocity of COP (vCOP), root-mean-square of COP (rmsCOP), turn index, torque, and base of support (BOS), compared to the pre-CSFTT values (p < 0.05). In the frequency domain analysis of COP parameters post-CSFTT, there was a decrease in both the peak and average of power spectral density (PSD) values in both the anteroposterior (AP) and mediolateral (ML) directions below 0.5 Hz (p < 0.05). In addition, the TUG scores showed a positive correlation with vCOP, rmsCOP, turn index, torque, BOS, and both the peak and average PSD values in the AP and ML directions below 0.5 Hz (p < 0.05). The FAB scores demonstrated a negative correlation with vCOP, rmsCOP, turns index, BOS, and both peak and average PSD values in the AP direction below 0.5 Hz (p < 0.05).
UNASSIGNED: In patients with iNPH who responded to CSFTT, there was an improvement in spontaneous body sway during quiet standing after CSFTT. Increased spontaneous sway is associated with impaired gait and frontal lobe function. This may be linked to impaired cortico-cortical and cortico-subcortical circuits in patients with iNPH.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of wearing virtual reality (VR) with a head-mounted display (HMD) on body sway in younger and older adults. A standing posture with eyes open without an HMD constituted the control condition. Wearing an HMD and viewing a 30°-tilt image and a 60°-tilt image in a resting standing position were the experimental conditions. Measurements were made using a force plate. All conditions were performed three times each and included the X-axis trajectory length (mm), Y-axis trajectory length (mm), total trajectory length (mm), trajectory length per unit time (mm/s), outer peripheral area (mm2), and rectangular area (mm2). The results showed a significant interaction between generation and condition in Y-axis trajectory length (mm) and total trajectory length (mm), with an increased body center-of-gravity sway during the viewing of tilted VR images in older adults than in younger adults in both sexes. The results of this study show that body sway can be induced by visual stimulation alone with VR without movement, suggesting the possibility of providing safe and simple balance training to older adults.