Experimental knee-related pain enhances attentional interference on postural control

Author(s)

Suda, Eneida Yuri ^[1] ; Hirata, Rogerio Pessoto ^[2] ; Palsson, Thorvaldur ^[2] ; Vuillerme, Nicolas ^{[3, 4]} ; Sacco, Isabel C. N. ^[1] ; Graven-Nielsen, Thomas ^[5]

Affiliation

^[1] Univ Sao Paulo, Sch Med, Dept Phys Therapy Speech & Occupat Therapy, Lab Biomech Human Movement, Sao Paulo - Brazil

^[2] Aalborg Univ, Dept Hlth Sci & Technol, Fac Med, Ctr Sensory Motor Interact, SMI, Fredrik BajersVej 93, DK-9220 Aalborg - Denmark

^[3] Inst Univ France, Paris - France

^[4] Univ Grenoble Alpes, EA AGEIS, Grenoble - France

^[5] Aalborg Univ, Ctr Neuroplastic & Pain CNAP, Dept Hlth Sci & Technol, SMI, Aalborg - Denmark

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF APPLIED PHYSIOLOGY; v. 119, n. 9, p. 2053-2064, SEP 2019.
• Web of Science Citations: 0

Abstract

Purpose To quantify how postural stability is modified during experimental pain while performing different cognitively demanding tasks. Methods Sixteen healthy young adults participated in the experiment. Pain was induced by intramuscular injection of hypertonic saline solution (1 mL, 6%) in both vastus medialis and vastus lateralis muscles (0.9% isotonic saline was used as control). The participants stood barefoot in tandem position for 1 min on a force plate. Center of pressure (CoP) was recorded before and immediately after injections, while performing two cognitive tasks: (i) counting forwards by adding one; (ii) counting backwards by subtracting three. CoP variables-total area of displacement, velocity in anterior-posterior (AP-velocity) and medial-lateral (ML-velocity) directions, and CoP sample entropy in anterior-posterior and medial-lateral directions were displayed as the difference between the values obtained after and before each injection and compared between tasks and injections. Results CoP total area ( - 84.5 +/- 145.5 vs. 28.9 +/- 78.5 cm(2)) and ML-velocity ( - 1.71 +/- 2.61 vs. 0.98 +/- 1.93 cm/s) decreased after the painful injection vs. Control injection while counting forward (P < 0.05). CoP total area (12.8 +/- 53.9 vs. - 84.5 +/- 145.5 cm(2)), ML-velocity ( - 0.34 +/- 1.92 vs. - 1.71 +/- 2.61 cm/s) and AP-velocity (1.07 +/- 2.35 vs. - 0.39 +/- 1.82 cm/s) increased while counting backwards vs. forwards after the painful injection (P < 0.05). Conclusion Pain interfered with postural stability according to the type of cognitive task performed, suggesting that pain may occupy cognitive resources, potentially resulting in poorer balance performance. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 15/00214-6 - Complexity of motor control in different motor tasks and populations
• Grantee: Eneida Yuri Suda
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate
• FAPESP's process: 17/15449-4 - Biomechanical and functional aspects of the musculoskeletal system of runners: chronic effects of therapeutic exercise and aging
• Grantee: Eneida Yuri Suda
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral