Relationship of multiscale entropy to task difficulty and sway velocity in healthy young adults

Abstract

Purpose/background: Multiscale entropy (MSE) is a nonlinear measure of postural control that quantifies how complex the postural sway is by assigning a complexity index to the center of pressure (COP) oscillations. While complexity has been shown to be task dependent, the relationship between sway complexity and level of task challenge is currently unclear. This study tested whether MSE can detect short-term changes in postural control in response to increased standing balance task difficulty in healthy young adults and compared this response to that of a traditional measure of postural steadiness, root mean square of velocity (VRMS).

Methods: COP data from 20 s of quiet stance were analyzed when 30 healthy young adults stood on the following surfaces: on floor and foam with eyes open and closed and on the compliant side of a Both Sides Up (BOSU) ball with eyes open. Complexity index (CompI) was derived from MSE curves.

Results: Repeated measures analysis of variance across standing conditions showed a statistically significant effect of condition (p < 0.001) in both the anterior–posterior and medio-lateral directions for both CompI and VRMS. In the medio-lateral direction there was a gradual increase in CompI and VRMS with increased standing challenge. In the anterior–posterior direction, VRMS showed a gradual increase whereas CompI showed significant differences between the BOSU and all other conditions. CompI was moderately and significantly correlated with VRMS.

Conclusions: Both nonlinear and traditional measures of postural control were sensitive to the task and increased with increasing difficulty of standing balance tasks in healthy young adults.

• Center of pressure
• complexity index
• nonlinear analysis
• postural control

Acknowledgments

We thank Deborah Kartin, PT, PhD for consultation and assistance with data collection. We thank Alex Bennett, DPT and Somer Kreisman, DPT for assistance with data collection. We thank Alex Bennett and Somer Kreisman, DPT students, for assistance with data collection. We also thank the anonymous referees for thoughtful comments. This work was funded by the Walter C. and Anita C. Stolov Research Award, University of Washington, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine. Study sponsors had no involvement in the research project or manuscript production.

Declaration of interest

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.