Sensory sub- and suprathreshold TENS exhibit no immediate effect on postural steadiness in older adults with no balance impairments

Rugelj, Darja (author), Vidovič, Marko (author), Vauhnik, Renata (author)

Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) has been reported to attenuate postural sway; however, the results are inconclusive, with some indicating the effect and others not. The study aimed to evaluate the effect of sensory sub- and suprathreshold low-frequency TENS applied through the plantar surface and posterior aspect of shanks on postural sway. In a group of healthy community-dwelling older adults, TENS was delivered with two different current intensities: (1) subsensory which is below conscious perception and (2) suprasensory threshold which is within the range of conscious perception. Frequencies of the TENS stimulation were sweeping from 5 to 180 Hz and were delivered through the plantar surface and posterior shanks of both legs. Postural sway was measured with a force platform in eyes-open and eyes-closed conditions. To evaluate potential fast adaptability to TENS stimuli, the results were evaluated in two time intervals: 30 seconds and 60 seconds. The results indicated that TENS with the chosen frequencies and electrode placement did not affect postural sway in both the sub- and suprathreshold intensities of TENS, in eyes-open and eyes-closed conditions, and in 30-second and 60-second time intervals. In conclusion, given that in this study sub- and suprathreshold TENS applied via the plantar surface of the feet did not attenuate postural sway, it would be easy to conclude that this type of electrical stimuli is ineffective and no further research is required. We must caution against this, given the specificity of the electrode placements. We recommend that future research be performed consisting of individuals with balance impairments and with different positions of electrodes.

• Language: English
• Keywords: postural sway, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, TENS, balance
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: ZF - Faculty of Health Sciences
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Publisher: Hindawi Publishing Corporation
• Year: 2020
• Number of pages: Str. 1-9
• Numbering: Vol. 2020, art. ID 2451291
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-114487
• UDC: 615.8:612.76
• ISSN on article: 2314-6133
• DOI: 10.1155/2020/2451291
• COBISS.SI-ID: 5783915
• Publication date in RUL: 02.03.2020

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Biomed research international
• Shortened title: BioMed res. int.
• Publisher: Hindawi Publishing Corporation
• ISSN: 2314-6133
• COBISS.SI-ID: 519952665

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.
• Licensing start date: 02.03.2020

Projects

• Funder: ARRS - Slovenian Research Agency
• Project number: P3-0388
• Name: Mehanizmi varovanja zdravja