FREQUENCY CONTENT OF STANDARD POSTUROGRAPHIC MEASURES

摘要

Although still considered experimental by some, computerized posturography is becoming more and more the standardassessment of balance and neuromuscular control mechanisms while standing. However, there is no consensus as to the dataacquisition parameters to be used. Depending on which posturography school one belongs to, acquisition frequencies varyfrom a few Hz all the way to 1 kHz, and little attention is usually given to the post-sampling filter cut-off frequency(implemented either in the hardware or in the software used to acquire the data), often without realizing the consequencessuch choices will have on the results. But the sampling and the filter cut-off frequencies are particularly important whendealing with spectral analysis or when secondary measurements such as the center of pressure coordinates, sway path length,velocity or acceleration are calculated from the measured forces and moments. In this paper, frequency content of verticalground reaction force and center of pressure path coordinates excursion were determined for 946 subjects of both genders,with various age, height, body type, health status and nationality. The results of this spectral analysis made it possible to drawsome general conclusions as to what should be a proper acquisition frequency for posturographic data.