Does vibrotactile biofeedback for postural control interfere with cognitive processes?
Katrin H Schulleri, Farbod Feizian, Martina Steinböck and 2 others
PMID 39425162WHAT IT FOUND
Young adults wearing a balance vest responded slower to working memory tasks when instructed to move toward the vibration, but not away from it.
Both instructions improved standing balance without affecting conflict resolution speed. The away-from-vibration method felt easier to use.
Key findings
01During a difficult working memory task, response times increased by 0.24 seconds for those instructed to move toward the vibration, but changed by only 0.03 seconds for those instructed to move away.
02Both feedback instructions reduced trunk sway variability by 0.158 degrees and increased the time spent in the stable zone by 14.43% during multitasking.
03Participants rated the 'move away' instruction as easier to use and more comfortable, and 45% of the 'move toward' group said the other method would be better.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The study included only healthy young adults, so findings may not apply to older adults or those with balance disorders who have less cognitive reserve. The vest was tested in a laboratory setting with eyes closed and narrow stance, which does not reflect real-world walking or dynamic environments. Participants had limited familiarisation time; longer training might reduce the cognitive cost of the 'Attractive' encoding. Some participants in Study II were excluded due to sensor malfunction and missing data, reducing the analysed sample size.
Declared interests
Funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft and Technische Universität München. No commercial conflicts of interest are declared in the text.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume this evidence supports using vibrotactile biofeedback for patients with cognitive impairments or older adults. The study tested only healthy young adults, who have greater cognitive reserve and may not experience the same level of interference.