Experimental brain research. Experimentelle Hirnforschung. Expérimentation cérébrale
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Anticipatory postural adjustments (APAs) are usually generated to minimize the potential postural disturbance induced by predictable external perturbations. Visual information about a perturbation is important for the generation of APAs, but whether people can rely on auditory information to generate APAs is unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of an auditory cue in generating APAs when visual information is not available. ⋯ The results showed that after a short training, participants were able to rely only on the auditory cue to generate APAs comparable to that when the visual information was available. In addition, a training effect was found such that the participants demonstrated stronger APAs and less demands for CPAs through the training trials. The outcome provides a foundation for future studies focusing on the utilization of auditory cues for postural control in older adults and individuals who have vision deficit.