Delayed visual feedback reveals distinct time scales in balance control

We performed an experiment in which we challenged postural stability in 12 healthy subjects by providing artificial delayed visual feedback. A monitor at eye-height presented subjects with a visual representation of the location of their center-of-pressure (COP) and they were instructed to position their COP as accurately as possible on a small target. Visual feedback of the COP was displayed either in real-time, or delayed by 250, 500, 750, or 1000 ms. In a control condition, no visual feedback was provided. As expected, stability increased during real-time visual feedback compared to when feedback was absent. To identify time scales at which postural control during quiet stance takes place we sought to distinguish between different frequencies. Low frequencies, i.e. slow components of postural sway, showed a monotonic increase in sway amplitude with increasing delay, whereas high frequencies, i.e. fast components of postural sway, showed significantly reduced sway amplitude for delays of 500-750 ms compared to the other delay conditions. Low- and high-frequency components of postural sway thus exhibited differential susceptibility to artificial delays, thereby supporting the notion of postural control taking place on two distinct time scales.