Vection alters sensory strategy in eyes closed standing

Takuya Yada, Kenya Tanamachi, Fuminari Kaneko
Purpose:

This study aimed to identifythe after-effects of a sensory strategy with visually induced vection when standing with eyes closed.

Methods:

The subjects were healthy young adults without orthopedic, neurological, vestibular, or visual impairment who were randomly assigned to the intervention or control group. The intervention group observed visually induced vection using a head-mounted display (HMD; Meta Quest Pro, Meta Inc.). This visual stimulation with random dots rotating anticlockwise was presented for 10 s and the image with stationary dots for 20 s; this was repeated for 10 min. In the control group, the subjects observed a static dot image using an HMD for 10 min. The outcome was the center of pressure (COP), measured with the subject standing on a closed leg with eyes closed for a measurement time of 60 s using a force plate. COP data was acquired immediately after the intervention. The COP parameter was the PSD in the lateral direction of COP using FFT. PSD was then divided into three frequency intervals: low-frequency (LF: 0–0.3 Hz), medium-frequency (MF: 0.3–1 Hz), and high-frequency (HF: 1–3 Hz) band. The integrated PSD of each band was normalized by the integrated PSD of 0–3 Hz band and is presented as PSD ratio. For statistical analysis, two-way repeated measures analysis of variance was performed with post-hoc analysis with Bonferroni correction.



Results:

There were 12 and 13 participants in the intervention and control groups, respectively. In the intervention group, the PSD ratio in the LF band was significantly lower (p 0.01), and the PSD ratio in the MF band was significantly higher after intervention than before (p 0.01).


Conclusion(s):

Visually induced vection decreased the PSD ratio in the LF band and increased the PSD ratio in the MF band when standing with eyes closed after intervention. The present results indicate that this intervention may have decreased visual weighting and increased vestibular and somatosensory weighting when standing with eyes closed.

Implications:

Visually induced vection may be a method for changing the sensory strategy of a subject’s postural control. 

Funding acknowledgements:
No funding received
Keywords:
Vection
Sensory strategy
Postural control
Primary topic:
Other
Second topic:
Disability and rehabilitation
Third topic:
Neurology
Did this work require ethics approval?:
Yes
Name the institution and ethics committee that approved your work:
Tokyo Research Safety Ethics Committee of Tokyo Metropolitan University
Provide the ethics approval number:
23044
Has any of this material been/due to be published or presented at another national or international conference prior to the World Physiotherapy Congress 2025?:
No

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