Learning Effects and the Sensory Organization Test: Influence of a Unilateral Peripheral Vestibular Impairment

Purpose

Healthy young controls exhibit a learning effect after undergoing repeated administrations of the sensory organization test (SOT). The primary objective of the present experiment was to determine if an SOT learning effect is present in individuals with a unilateral vestibular impairment (UVI), and if so, whether it is different from healthy controls. The secondary objective was to determine if the learning effect is dependent on the time frame of repeated SOT assessments.

Method

Eleven individuals diagnosed with a UVI and 11 controls underwent 6 repetitions of the SOT over 2 visits (3 per visit all within 1 week). A second control group underwent 3 SOT repetitions, with each repetition separated by 1 week, to evaluate the time course of the SOT learning effect.

Results

No statistically significant differences were found between the UVI group and the control group. In addition, the magnitude of the learning effect was found to be similar regardless of the length of time that separated the repetitions.

Conclusions

If the SOT is to be used as a measure of improvement, the learning effect should be exhausted (which typically occurs following the third administration) prior to the introduction of therapy. Future research should further investigate the results from those with other vestibular pathologies.

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Learning Effects and the Sensory Organization Test: Influence of a Unilateral Peripheral Vestibular Impairment

Purpose

Healthy young controls exhibit a learning effect after undergoing repeated administrations of the sensory organization test (SOT). The primary objective of the present experiment was to determine if an SOT learning effect is present in individuals with a unilateral vestibular impairment (UVI), and if so, whether it is different from healthy controls. The secondary objective was to determine if the learning effect is dependent on the time frame of repeated SOT assessments.

Method

Eleven individuals diagnosed with a UVI and 11 controls underwent 6 repetitions of the SOT over 2 visits (3 per visit all within 1 week). A second control group underwent 3 SOT repetitions, with each repetition separated by 1 week, to evaluate the time course of the SOT learning effect.

Results

No statistically significant differences were found between the UVI group and the control group. In addition, the magnitude of the learning effect was found to be similar regardless of the length of time that separated the repetitions.

Conclusions

If the SOT is to be used as a measure of improvement, the learning effect should be exhausted (which typically occurs following the third administration) prior to the introduction of therapy. Future research should further investigate the results from those with other vestibular pathologies.

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Do different sitting postures affect spinal biomechanics of asymptomatic individuals?

Publication date: Available online 21 October 2018

Source: Gait & Posture

Author(s): Arnold YL Wong, Tommy PM Chan, Alex WM Chau, Hon Tung Cheung, Keith CK Kwan, Alan KH Lam, Peter YC Wong, Diana De Carvalho

Abstract

Background

Static sitting is thought to be related to low back pain. Of various common seated postures, slouched sitting has been suggested to cause viscoelastic creep. This, in turn, may compromise trunk muscle activity and proprioception, and heightening the risk of low back pain. To date, no research has evaluated immediate and short-term effects of brief exposures to different sitting postures on spinal biomechanics and trunk proprioception.

Research question

This study aimed to compare the impacts of 20 minutes of static slouched, upright and supported sitting with a backrest on trunk range of motion, muscle activity, and proprioception immediately after and 30 minutes after the sitting tasks.

Methods

Thirty-seven adults were randomly assigned to the three sitting posture groups. Surface electromyography of six trunk muscles during maximum voluntary contractions were measured at baseline for normalization. Pain intensity, lumbar range of motion, and proprioceptive postural control strategy were assessed at baseline, 20 minutes (immediately post-test) and at 50 minutes (recovery). Trunk muscle activity during sitting was continuously monitored by surface electromyography.

Results

While the slouched sitting group demonstrated the lowest bilateral obliquus internus/transversus abdominis activity as compared to other sitting postures (F = 4.87, p < 0.05), no significant temporal changes in pain intensity, lumbar range of motion nor proprioceptive strategy were noted in any of the groups.

Significance

Sitting for 20 minutes of duration appears to have no adverse effects on symptoms or spinal biomechanics regardless of the posture adopted. Future research should determine if there is a point at which does slouched sitting cause significant changes in pain/spinal biomechanics in people both with and without low back pain.

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Do different sitting postures affect spinal biomechanics of asymptomatic individuals?

Publication date: Available online 21 October 2018

Source: Gait & Posture

Author(s): Arnold YL Wong, Tommy PM Chan, Alex WM Chau, Hon Tung Cheung, Keith CK Kwan, Alan KH Lam, Peter YC Wong, Diana De Carvalho

Abstract

Background

Static sitting is thought to be related to low back pain. Of various common seated postures, slouched sitting has been suggested to cause viscoelastic creep. This, in turn, may compromise trunk muscle activity and proprioception, and heightening the risk of low back pain. To date, no research has evaluated immediate and short-term effects of brief exposures to different sitting postures on spinal biomechanics and trunk proprioception.

Research question

This study aimed to compare the impacts of 20 minutes of static slouched, upright and supported sitting with a backrest on trunk range of motion, muscle activity, and proprioception immediately after and 30 minutes after the sitting tasks.

Methods

Thirty-seven adults were randomly assigned to the three sitting posture groups. Surface electromyography of six trunk muscles during maximum voluntary contractions were measured at baseline for normalization. Pain intensity, lumbar range of motion, and proprioceptive postural control strategy were assessed at baseline, 20 minutes (immediately post-test) and at 50 minutes (recovery). Trunk muscle activity during sitting was continuously monitored by surface electromyography.

Results

While the slouched sitting group demonstrated the lowest bilateral obliquus internus/transversus abdominis activity as compared to other sitting postures (F = 4.87, p < 0.05), no significant temporal changes in pain intensity, lumbar range of motion nor proprioceptive strategy were noted in any of the groups.

Significance

Sitting for 20 minutes of duration appears to have no adverse effects on symptoms or spinal biomechanics regardless of the posture adopted. Future research should determine if there is a point at which does slouched sitting cause significant changes in pain/spinal biomechanics in people both with and without low back pain.

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