Author and graduation date: Kathleen J. AYLWARD, October, 2002

Committee members: Roger W. Simmons (Chair), Peter M. Aufsesser, Patricia R. Sandback

Thesis title: Assessment of Postural Control in Trained Ballet Dancers

The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of visual, somatosensory and vestibular information, type of postural strategy, and response latency onsets in maintaining balance for individuals with and without ballet training. Eighteen ballet dancers were individually matched to control participants, who had no ballet training, on age, gender, weight, and height. Cutaneous foot sensitivity was evaluated on all participants using a monofilament test before completing postural assessment. The assessment consisted of two testing procedures using Computerized Dynamic Posturography (CDP). First, sensory information was manipulated by the Sensory Organization Test (SOT), which consisted of six subtests. The SOT results separately evaluated anterior-posterior sway and postural strategy during each condition. The second test used electromyography (EMG) to record neuromuscular latency response onsets during a "toes-up" (i.e., dorsiflexion) movement of the foot.

The results indicated that ballet dancers had significantly less balance control than non-dancers in the most challenging balance condition, when visual information was made unreliable and somatosensory information was absent (SOT 6). Analyses revealed no significant differences between the groups on postural strategy or short-latency, medium-latency, and long-latency response onsets. The findings from this study suggest that ballet training influences individuals to shift more reliance on visual input, even if unreliable, than vestibular input when somatosensory information is not available.

Click here to return to the Completed Master Degree Theses in Biomechanics Table of Contents