Engineering

Aerospace engineering

Neuroscience

Aerodynamics

Balance (ability)

Stability (learning theory)

Developmental psychology

Computer science

Eyes open

Autism

Psychology

Cluster (spacecraft)

Typically developing

Force platform

Center of pressure (fluid mechanics)

Medicine

Programming language

Physical medicine and rehabilitation

Machine learning

Journal of Motor Learning and Development

The purposes of the present study were a) to establish postural control profiles for individuals 6–12 years of age, b) to analyze the participants’ characteristics (age, sex, weight, height, and physical activity) in those profiles, and c) to analyze the influence of visual information in the profiles found. Two hundred and eight typically developing children aged 6–12 years performed two trials in bipedal standing position with eyes open and closed. Feature extraction involved time, frequency, and sway-density plot variables using signals from the center of pressure. A Self-Organizing Map was used to classify and visualize the values of the participants in all the postural control variables tested. A k-means cluster analysis was applied to generate a small number of postural control profiles. The results determined six postural control profiles; three with participants denoting high stability and three considered as low stability profiles. Age, sex, and height were related to the postural control profiles. Boys were more frequently allocated in high stability clusters than girls, while the other factors yielded unclear difference between high and low stability profiles. The analysis of children’s profiles reflecting postural stability should therefore involve more than one factor including the individuals’ age, sex, and height.

Postural Control Profiles of Typically Developing Children From 6 to 12 Years old: An Approach Using Self-Organizing Maps