Estimation of Transition Frequency during Continuous Translation Surface Perturbation

Abstract

Depending on task requirements, a human is able to select distinct strategies such as the use of an ankle strategy and hip strategy to maintain their balance. Postural control actions often co-occur with other movements, and such movements may bring about a change from one type of postural coordination to another. The selection of a postural control strategy has typically been investigated by the transition of the center of mass (COM), center of pressure (COP), and in between angle joint motion along with their characteristics. In this paper, we proposed a method using the logistic function of the sigmoid model based on cross-correlation coefficient (CCF) data for investigating and observing the transition of postural control strategies of COM–COP and ankle-hip angles towards anterior–posterior (AP) continuous translation perturbation. Subjects were required to stand on the motion base platform where perturbations with an increasing frequency (0.2 Hz to 0.8 Hz) and decreasing frequency (0.8 Hz to 0.2 Hz) in steps of 0.02 Hz, were induced. As the frequency increased, the COM and COP displacements were decreased, with the opposite trend observable with decreasing frequency. This pattern was also observed at the head peak-to-peak amplitude. Meanwhile, ankle and hip angular displacements were increased during increasing frequency and decreased during decreasing frequency. In this paper, the proposed sigmoid model could identify the transition frequency of COM–COP and ankle–hip transition. The mean transition frequency of COM–COP during increasing frequency was 0.44 Hz, and the ankle–hip transition frequency was 0.42 Hz. Meanwhile, for decreasing frequency, the COM–COP transition frequency was 0.55 Hz, and for the ankle–hip transition the frequency was 0.56 Hz. With frequencies, both increasing and decreasing, the COM–COP and ankle–hip transition frequencies occurred almost at the same frequency. Furthermore, the transition occurred at a lower time scale during increasing frequency compared to decreasing frequency. In conclusion, the continuous translation surface perturbation provided information on the behavior of postural control strategies. A sudden change in ‘phase angle’ was observed, where either an ankle or hip strategy was implemented to maintain balance. Besides, the transition frequency of postural control strategies could be determined to occur between 0.4 Hz and 0.6 Hz, based on the average value, for healthy young subjects in the AP plane. Furthermore, the proposed sigmoid model was believed to be able to be used in the determination of transition frequency in postural control strategies.