Do presentation modality and cognitive load affect standing stability?

抄録

There are some brain disease sufferers, who face difficulties in performing various tasks while maintaining standing posture. We examined how the difference in presentation modality and cognitive load affect information processing and the maintenance of standing posture. We assigned tasks based on the Paced Serial Addition Test (PSAT) to 11 healthy adults. More precisely, we presented digits auditorily or visually and analysed parameters, namely, the precision and the speed of processing as well as the center of pressure (COP). It was found that both the precision and the speed of processing were higher in visual presentation than in auditory presentation, and as cognitive load increased these parameters began to show poorer results. COP became unstable when cognitive load exceeded a certain degree.