RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 The effect of fatigue on bipedal postural control in patients with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
JF European Respiratory Journal
JO Eur Respir J
FD European Respiratory Society
SP OA4819
DO 10.1183/13993003.congress-2016.OA4819
VO 48
IS suppl 60
A1 Katerina Neumannová
A1 Nicolas Vuillerme
A1 Zdenek Svoboda
A1 Vladimir Koblizek
A1 Vratislav Sedlak
A1 Jaromir Zatloukal
A1 Marek Plutinsky
A1 Miroslav Janura
YR 2016
UL http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/48/suppl_60/OA4819.abstract
AB Introduction It is well established that balance impairments which can lead to higher incidence of falls were confirmed in patients with COPD. However, there are not enough studies which are focused on the effect of fatigue on postural control in these patients. This study aimed to investigate bipedal postural control in patients with COPD before and after maximal exercise test.Methods 27 patients with COPD (FEV1=46.6%; mean age 66.2 years) and 17 healthy controls (FEV1=99.4%; mean age 62.6 years) were instructed to stand upright as stable as possible feet together and feet apart with their eyes open. Centre of pressure (CoP) displacements were recorded before and after Incremental shuttle walk test (ISWT) using force plates (Kistler Instrumente, Switzerland).Results Before ISWT test, no significant difference in CoP displacements and velocity were observed between COPD and control groups. Although patients with COPD reached shorter distance in ISWT than healthy controls (p < 0.001; 358.8 vs. 664.7m), postural stability in mediolateral direction (ML) was significantly worsened in these patients after ISWT during standing with feet apart (p=0.004, ML CoP displacement: 0.26 vs. 0.31cm). CoP velocity in anteroposterior direction was significantly less in both groups during standing feet together after ISWT compared to before ISWT.Conclusions Fatigue adversely affected ML balance control in patients with COPD that may put them at risk for falls. From a clinical point of view, these findings suggest that it is necessary to add balance training to comprehensive treatment of these patients to prevent worsening of balance and falls after physical activities including walking.