Plantar or Palmar Tactile Augmentation Improves Lateral Postural Balance With Significant Influence from Cognitive Load

Although it seems intuitive to address the issue of reduced plantar cutaneous feedback by augmenting it, many approaches have adopted compensatory sensory cues, such as tactile input from another part body, for multiple reasons including easiness and accessibility. The efficacy might be limited due cognitive involvement interpret cues. objective this study is test hypothesis that augmentation more effective than providing cues on improving postural regulation, when reduced. In our experiments, six healthy human subjects were asked maintain their balance a lateral board long possible, until contacted ground, 240 trials with five interventions. During these instructed close eyes increase dependency balancing. Foam pad was also added emulate condition feedback. effects foot sole or palm standing tested applying transcutaneous electrical stimulation calcaneal ulnar nerve during tests, without cognitively-challenging counting task. Experimental results indicate only load, while palmar load. This result suggests location should carefully determined according attentional demands.