Dual task interferes with sensorimotor coupling in postural control

Abstract

Although the effects of cognitive tasks on postural control have been widely investigated, the influence of cognitive load on sensorimotor coupling in postural control is still being uncovered. The purpose of the present study was to investigate and compare the influence of conscious knowledge, intention, and cognitive load on the relationship between visual information and body sway in postural control in young adults. Sixteen young adults stood upright, as still as possible, inside a moving room under four experimental conditions: the participants remained still without knowing that the room was moving (dynamic condition); the participants were informed about the room’s movement (information condition) and asked to resist the room’s movement (resisted condition); the participants performed a counting task while resisting the visual influence (dual-task condition). The results showed that the influence of visual manipulation on body sway decreased when the participants were informed about the movement of the room and decreased further after they were asked to resist its movement. However, performing a dual-task led to an increase in visual influence. We conclude that intention plays a role in sensorimotor system functioning in the postural control system to alter its function if required. Nevertheless, such change demands cognitive effort, which limits attentional resources and can compromise performance in secondary tasks.