Added cognitive load through rotary auditory stimulation can improve the quality of postural control in the elderly

This study examined the effect of rotary auditory stimulation on postural control in the elderly. Thirty-two subjects aged over sixty were submitted to two rotary auditory stimulations, with a meaningful and a non-meaningful message, during a postural task. Although the non-meaningful task did not lead to postural control modification, the meaningful task allowed a reduction in the postural parameter values and therefore, a better stabilisation of posture. The attention, paid to the geography of the sound in understanding the story being told, forced the subject into taking into consideration the regularity and rotation of the stimulation, which meant relying on an auditory anchorage and so facilitated posture regulation. (C) 2004 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.