TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2019//
TI  - The effects of distraction on threat-related changes in standing balance control
JO  - Neuroscience letters
A1  - Johnson, Kyle J.
A1  - Watson, Alexander M.
A1  - Tokuno, Craig D.
A1  - Carpenter, Mark G.
A1  - Adkin, Allan L.
SP  - ePub
EP  - ePub
VL  - ePub
IS  - ePub
N2  - Research indicates that threat-induced changes in standing balance are associated with shifts in attention focus. This study investigated whether distracting attention modifies threat-induced changes in standing balance. Twenty-five healthy young adults stood without (No Threat) and with (Threat) the possibility of receiving a temporally unpredictable anteroposterior support surface translation. In both conditions, participants completed a distractor task that consisted of counting how often a pre-selected letter occurred in an auditory sequence, or no distractor task. Emotional responses to threat were quantified using electrodermal activity and self-report measures, while attention focus was quantified using self-report. Centre of pressure (COP) was measured to assess changes in standing balance. <br><br>RESULTS indicate that postural threat induced an emotional response, as well as broad shifts in attention focus and changes in standing balance. Distracting attention with a cognitive task mitigated threat-induced increases in medium-frequency COP displacements (0.5-1.8 Hz). These results provide support for a relationship between threat-related changes in balance control and attention focus.<br><br>Copyright © 2019. Published by Elsevier B.V.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 0304-3940
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.neulet.2019.134635
ID  - ref1
ER  -