TY - JOUR PY - 2017// TI - Physiological arousal accompanying postural responses to external perturbations after stroke JO - Clinical neurophysiology A1 - Pollock, C. L. A1 - Carpenter, M. G. A1 - Hunt, M. A. A1 - Gallina, A. A1 - Vieira, T. M. A1 - Ivanova, T. D. A1 - Garland, S. Jayne SP - 935 EP - 944 VL - 128 IS - 6 N2 - OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to examine simultaneously the level of physiological arousal and the postural response to external perturbations in people post-stroke compared to age-matched controls to build a more comprehensive understanding of the effect of stroke on postural control and balance self-efficacy.

METHODS: Participants stood with each foot on separate force platforms. Ten applications of loads of 2% body weight at the hips perturbed the participant anteriorly under two conditions: investigator-triggered or self-triggered (total 20). Electrodermal activity (EDA; measurement of physiological arousal), electromyography (EMG) of the ankle plantarflexor muscles and anterior-posterior center of pressure measurements were taken pre-perturbation (anticipatory) and post-perturbation (response) and compared between the initial (first two) and final (last two) perturbations.

RESULTS: Participants post-stroke demonstrated significantly higher levels of anticipatory EDA and anticipatory paretic plantarflexor EMG during both self- and investigator-triggered conditions compared to controls. Anticipatory EDA levels were higher in the final perturbations in participants post-stroke in both conditions, but not in controls. Habituation of the EDA responses post-perturbation was exhibited in the self-triggered perturbations in controls, but not in participants post-stroke.

CONCLUSIONS: Physiological arousal and postural control strategies of controls revealed habituation in response to self-triggered perturbations, whereas this was not seen in participants post-stroke. SIGNIFICANCE: Understanding the physiological arousal response to challenges to standing balance post-stroke furthers our understanding of postural control mechanisms post-stroke.

Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Language: en

LA - en SN - 1388-2457 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.clinph.2017.03.008 ID - ref1 ER -