The effect of anxiety on motor learning during a postural task

The effect of anxiety on motor learning during a balance relevant task was investigated. Twenty participants (mean age 22.0 ± 2.7 years) were randomly divided into groups that completed the task whilst standing directly on the platform or on 9cm high pedestals, thus constructing Non-Anxious (NA) or Anxious (A) environments. Participants trained for 36 trials in a continuous, pseudo-random oscillating balance task consisting of pseudo-random amplitude translation at 0.5Hz for 45 seconds each on Day 1 and returned for Retention and Transfer tests on Day 2. Motor performance was impaired by training in an anxious environment and this effect persisted across retesting in both non-anxious and anxious environments. Anxiety also tended to further impair transfer of motor performance improvements to a non-anxious environment. These findings have implications for the success of balance training programs in patients who are anxious or afraid of falling.

Author

• Sessford, Karus David

• Motor learning -- Research
• Anxiety -- Physiological aspects
• Equilibrium (Physiology) -- Research
• Motor ability -- Testing
• Falls (Accidents) in old age -- Research
• Dissertations, Academic

Identifier

hdl:10133/3122

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:opus.uleth.ca:10133/3122