Sympathetic response following unannounced loss of balance during walking in young adults: laboratory study

An unannounced balance loss during walking, i.e., balance perturbation, is a stressful event, which changes the activity of the sympathetic nervous system (SNS). We examined SNS response to unannounced balance perturbation during walking, simulating real-life condition of balance loss. We asked: do laboratory-induced unannounced balance losses during walking cause a sympathetic response, and-if so-does it habituate after a series of perturbations? Thirty-four young adults underwent a series of six successive unannounced balance perturbations while walking on a treadmill. Sympathetic activity was monitored continuously using electrodermal activity and compared before and immediately after each unannounced perturbation. All perturbations elicited a significant increase of electrodermal activity (P < 0.001), indicating a phasic increase in the sympathetic drive. The relative phasic increase of electrodermal activity caused by the first perturbation was significantly higher than the last perturbation (P < 0.05). Three different types of electrodermal activity behavior were observed: steady-level tonic SNS activity, increased SNS activity, and decreased SNS activity. Balance loss during walking triggers phasic SNS response, this response habituates after a series of unannounced balance perturbations. In addition, three distinct patterns of tonic sympathetic activity may imply variations in the ability of the SNS response to habituate across individuals.