Postural Control Flashcards
What do postural actions consist of
- the person
- the environment
- the task
Postural tone
- amount of muscle activity that is required to maintain posture
- varies from situation to situation and is changing
Postural control definition and its aspects
- maintaining position of the part of the body with respect of an external reference frame
- the environment
- an external object moving in the environment
- the body itself
What are the types of postural control
- static
- dynamic
static postural control and what is involved
maintain stability in a steady state
- involved control of COM over BOS
- muscel tone/posutral tone
- sensory input
- influence of head and neck position
- tonic neck reflexes (head/neck position plays an effect on how much you use your extensors/changes COM)
dynamic postural control/types
for function and movement
- reactive and anticipatory
- used during functional movement
Reactive postural control
- part of dynamic postural control
- feedback control
- feedforward control: changing an activity while it is occurring
Anticipatory postural control
- internal control/before movement starts
- proactive postural control
- preparatory action before a movement
how/when does development of postural control occur generally
- occurs before birth
- 7-8 weeks gestational age: fetal side bending as a precursor to postural control
- all postural movements of trunk and limbs are evident at the end of 1st trimester
- little control needed due to amniotic fluid/reduced gravity
Development of postural control during the first year
- flexion control followed by extension
- head control
- sitting balance
- standing balance
- walking
- intra and inter-individual variations in development are influenced by genetic and environment
- development shows the hierarchy of control
How is Postural control developed beyond the 1st year/walking
- modified and refined through practice
- movements become more efficient, less variable
- walking:
1. early “high guard” walking changes
- decreased step width
- increased step length
- interlimb coordination
Sensory contributions of postural control
- vision
- somatosensation: proprioception, cutaneous sensation, feet, hands and UE
- vestibular system: where head/body is in space
- important for steady state and reactive/proactive control
Development of the sensory systems
- mostly vision and somatosensation
- gradually improves from birth until 7-9 years old
- visual acuity, depth perception, cutaneous sensation, proprioception
- coincides with mature balance reactions that compensate to avoid falling
Development of the vestibular system
- timeline is less clear
- vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) develops shortly after birth (moving your eyes to adjust for head movements)
- vestibular system development less apparent
- usually evident if other systems impaired
Steady state balance
- quiet stance is not totally quiet, there is some postural sway
- also true of quiet sitting
- considerations when testing static balance
