Research articleSuprapostural effects of light digital touch on the modulation of postural sway can be modified by fingertip sensitivity

•We test if the suprapostural effect of light touch is affected by finger sensitivity.•Fingertip sensitivity is manipulated by recruiting three types of athletes.•Body sway is reduced in precision light touch relative to light touch condition.•This effect is strongest in swimmers, followed by basketball players and rowers.•These results show that finger sensitivity can modify suprapostural effects.

We investigated whether the suprapostural effects of light digital touch on the modulation of postural sway can be modifiedby fingertip sensitivity. To achieve this, we recruitedthree types of athleteswith various fingertip sensitivity levels, including swimmers (high sensitivity), basketball players (intermediate sensitivity), and rowers (low sensitivity). We recorded the center of pressure (COP) excursions in 21 swimmers (20.57 ± 0.42 years), 22 basketball players (20.79 ± 0.75 years), and 22 rowers (20.32 ± 0.49 years) during light-touch (LT) and precision light-touch (PLT) conditions. In the LT conditions, participants touched a force plate while standing with their feet shoulder-width apart. In the PLT condition, participants were instructed to precisely touch a fixed point on the plate. Compared to the LT condition, the execution of the PLT condition significantly reduced the magnitude of COP excursion in the AP axis for all groups. This effect was most pronounced in swimmers, followed by basketball players, then rowers. These findings suggest that the suprapostural effects of precision light-touch on postural control can be modified as a function of fingertip sensitivity.