Investigating Effective Sensory Biofeedback Training for Motor Learning of Postural Control

Abstract

Sensory augmented biofeedback (BF) training has been used as an intervention to improve postural control. Various forms of sensory information including visual, auditory, and somatosensory have been used to provide real-time augmented BF in the field of rehabilitation. However, most previous studies of postural control using sensory BF have used visual BF. In addition, no study that compared the learning effects of postural control using different sensory modalities. Therefore, the effective interventions using sensory BF for motor learning of postural control are still unclear. Then, we have investigated the learning effects of visual and auditory BF training for postural control using a voluntary postural sway task. A series of experiments showed that visual BF training could interfere with motor learning of postural control and that some restrictions should apply to visual BF in order to obtain learning effects of postural control. Lastly, the results of these studies revealed that auditory BF training is more effective in motor learning of postural control compared to visual BF training regardless of any restrictions applied to sensory BF. These findings would contribute to the development of efficient sensory feedback approaches for postural control impairments.