| Computerized dynamic posturography is a method of vestibular testing that is used for assessing the upright balance function. Athletes potentially have better postural stability than non-athletes based on previous research. This could be attributed to their participation in a sport and the formal training they receive. The purpose of this study is to explore the potential differences in postural stability of specifically trained athletes and a non-trained control group. Furthermore, this study will attempt to identify what type of physical training received by these athletes might be used clinically to help in the rehabilitation of patients suffering from deficiencies in postural control.; A total of 42 subjects participated in this study. They ranged in age from 18-26 years old. They were divided into three groups according to type of activity: Group 1: ten female gymnasts, six male gymnasts, Group 2: nine female swimmers, five male swimmers, and Group 3: seven sedentary females, and five sedentary males. Subjects were tested on a 3-dimensional CDP system that incorporated three visually perturbing stimuli including virtual reality goggles, Optokinetic ball, and headshake test. The SOT test is a series of tests that objectively assessed the subject's balance performance during a sequence of progressively more difficult task conditions.; Results were analyzed using a three-way analysis of variance applied in a split-plot experimental plan. Information including the sway area of movement, velocity of sway, and percent stability were analyzed for each subject for each SOT condition. No significant differences were found between the three activity groups; however, it was observed that the swimmers demonstrated the most difficulty maintaining postural control across most conditions while the sedentary control group outperformed both athletic groups. Significant (p<0.05) differences were found between males and females where the females proved to be more stable than the males; however, body dimensions were not taken into account. OPK ball and headshake test did show an effective way of perturbing the subjects' balance. This data reveals that expertise and experience in gymnastics and swimming does not result in better postural control when compared to an inactive control group. |
