Université de Fribourg

Is young age a limiting factor when training balance? Effects of child-oriented balance training in children and adolescents

Wälchli, Michael ; Ruffieux, Jan ; Mouthon, Audrey ; Keller, Martin ; Taube, Wolfgang

In: Pediatric Exercise Science, 2017, p. 1–26

Purpose: Balance training studies in children reported conflicting results without evidence for improvements in children under the age of eight. The aim of this study therefore was to compare balance training adaptations in children of different age groups to clarify whether young age prevents positive training outcomes.Method: The effects of five weeks of child-oriented balance training were...

Université de Fribourg

Task-dependent changes of corticospinal excitability during observation and motor imagery of balance tasks

Mouthon, Audrey ; Ruffieux, Jean ; Wälchli, Michael ; Keller, Martin ; Taube, Wolfgang

In: Neuroscience, 2015, vol. 303, p. 535–543

Non-physical balance training has demonstrated to be efficient to improve postural control in young people. However, little is known about the potential to increase corticospinal excitability by mental simulation in lower leg muscles. Mental simulation of isolated, voluntary contractions of limb muscles increase corticospinal excitability but more automated tasks like walking seem to have no or...

Université de Fribourg

Aging causes a reorganization of cortical and spinal control of posture

Papegaaij, Selma ; Taube, Wolfgang ; Baudry, Stéphane ; Otten, Egbert ; Hortobágyi, Tibor

In: Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, 2014, vol. 6, p. 28

Classical studies in animal preparations suggest a strong role for spinal control of posture. In humans it is now established that the cerebral cortex contributes to postural control of unperturbed and perturbed standing. The age-related degeneration and accompanying functional changes in the brain, reported so far mainly in conjunction with simple manual motor tasks, may also affect the...

Université de Fribourg

The effect of balance training on cervical sensorimotor function and neck pain

Beinert, Konstantin ; Taube, Wolfgang

In: Journal of Motor Behavior, 2013, vol. 45, no. 3, p. 271-278

The authors’ aim was to evaluate the effect of balance training on cervical joint position sense in people with subclinical neck pain. Thirty-four participants were randomly assigned to balance training or to stay active. Sensorimotor function was determined before and after 5 weeks of training by assessing the ability to reproduce the neutral head position and a predefined rotated head...