The effects of vision on sit-to-stand movement

[Purpose] It is well known that vision is an important factor contributing to postural control. However, there has been little discussion about the effect of vision on sit-to-stand movement. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of constrained vision on sit-to-stand movement. [Subjects and Methods] Twenty-three healthy subjects (11 males, 12 females) aged 18–23 years with normal body mass indices were recruited for this study. Each participant was asked to stand as quickly as possible from a height-adjustable chair 3 times under 2 conditions: with eyes closed (EC) and eyes open (EO). The weight transfer time, rising index, and center of gravity sway velocity were measured using a NeuroCom Balance Master. [Results] The results show there were significant differences between the EC and EO conditions in the weight transfer time and the centre of gravity sway velocity. No significant difference was found between the EC and EO conditions in the rising index. These findings suggest that visual perception may play a role in balance control while performing sit-to-stand movement.