Abstract
This study investigated the role of the foveal and peripheral visual fields in body sway control while standing upright. The subjects were 55 healthy adults. There were three visual conditions: presentation of a fixation point (foveal visual information) with cross-shaped vertical and horizontal lines stretching to the limits of the subject's viewing range (peripheral visual information), called the FP-condition; presentation of a fixation point only (F-condition); and the absence of visual information with the subject's eyes shut (N-condition). Three types (lateral, fore-aft, and total) of magnitude of body sway (MBS) were calculated.
(1) For both total and fore-aft body sways, the MBS of the N-condition was significantly larger than those of other conditions. The MBS of the FP-condition was nearly equal to that of the F-condition.
(2) For lateral body sway, the MBS of the N-condition was significantly larger than those of other conditions. The MBS of the F-condition was significantly larger than that of the FP-condition.
