Affiliations: [a] Department of Defense Spatial Orientation Center, Naval Medical Center San Diego, San Diego, CA 92134, USA | [b] Bobby R. Alford Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Communicative Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
Correspondence:
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Corresponding author: Kim R. Gottshall, PhD, PT, ATC, Department of Defense Spatial Orientation Center, Department of Otolaryngology, Naval Medical Center San Diego, 34520 Bob Wilson Drive Suite 200, San Diego, CA 92134, USA. Tel.: +1 619 532 5564; Fax: +1 619 532 6088; E-mail: krgottshall@nmcsd.med.navy.mil
Note: [1] Institutional Review Board that gave approval: Institutional Review Board of the Naval Medical Center San Diego
Note: [2] Financial disclosure: All authors have no financial agreement of involvement with any organization that has a direct financial interest in any matter included in this manuscript
Abstract: Study design:Four groups, between-subjects study. Objectives:To investigate the effects of exercise on adaptation of normal subjects who had been artificially spatially disoriented. Background:Many patients referred for rehabilitation experience sensory changes, due to age or disease processes, and these changes affect motor skill. The best way to train patients to adapt to these changes and to improve their sensorimotor skills is unclear. Using normal subjects, we tested the hypothesis that active, planned head movement is needed to adapt to modified visual input. Methods and measures:Eighty male and female subjects who had normal balance on computerized dynamic posturography (CDP) and the dynamic gait index (DGI), were randomly assigned to four groups. All groups donned diagonally shift lenses and were again assessed with CDP and DGI. The four groups were then treated for 20 min. Group 1 (control group) viewed a video, Group 2 performed exercise that involved translating the entire body through space, but without separate, volitional head movement, Group 3 performed exercises which all incorporated volitional, planned head rotations, and Group 4 performed exercises that involved translating the body (as in Group 2) and incorporated volitional, planned head motion (as in Group 3). All subjects were post-tested with CDP and DGI, lenses were removed, and subjects were retested again with CDP and DGI. Results:The groups did not differ significantly on CDP scores but Groups 3 and 4 had significantly better DGI scores than Groups 1 and 2. Conclusions:Active head movement that is specifically planned as part of the exercise is more effective than passive attention or head movements that are not consciously planned, for adapting to sensorimotor change when it incorporates active use of the changed sensory modality, in this case head motion.
