Is self-image, in reference to the gravitational vertical, altered in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis? A multicenter, single-blind, case-control study

Abstract

PURPOSE: Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) is associated with perturbation of orthostatic postural control. In humans, orthostatic postural control is organized around the gravitational vertical (GV). Perception of the GV involves a bottom-up process (central integration of multisensorial information) and a top-down process that uses cognitive mechanisms relying on body image. This study hypothesized that AIS would be associated with an erroneous central representation of verticality. The objective was to demonstrate an altered top-down process of sense of verticality in AIS. METHODS: This multicenter, single-blind, case-control study evaluated 63 adolescent girls with AIS divided into two groups (major AIS (n = 31) and minor AIS (n = 32)) and 30 matched non-scoliotic adolescents. Participants scored their perception of trunk appearance in an upright position using a pictographic scale. The outcome measure was the difference between perception score and real trunk deformity. RESULTS: Participants with major AIS presented with misperception of their trunk appearance in an upright position when compared with those with minor AIS or controls. CONCLUSION: Adolescents with major AIS underestimate their trunk deformity in an upright position. This suggests an altered representation of body image, affecting top-down control of sense of verticality.

Idiopathic scoliosis in subjects with eye diseases: A systematic review with meta‐analysis

“…Recently, a review found that IS subjects appear to show structural abnormalities of the vestibular apparatus 8 . This could compromise the perception of the subject's gravitational verticality 44 and cause an alteration of self‐image 51 . These works have speculated that spinal curvature could develop in response to an inappropriate postural pattern.…”

“…8 This could compromise the perception of the subject's gravitational verticality 44 and cause an alteration of self-image. 51 These works have speculated that spinal curvature could develop in response to an inappropriate postural pattern. Although the alteration of the perception of visual verticality in subjects with IS is not completely clear, 15 the distortion of the perception of verticality could cause coronal head tilt, 52 and it does seem that the treatment of a spinal curvature through exercises could destabilize the subject's internal schema, producing a deviation from the subjective visual vertical.…”

Disruption of awake sharp-wave ripples does not affect memorization of locations in repeated-acquisition spatial memory tasks

“…The second run epoch is identical to the first. The rats’ position is tracked by an overhead camera and liquid rewards are automatically delivered (Peira bvba, Belgium) based on the tracked behavior using custom developed software in the lab ( Catanzariti et al, 2022 ; https://bitbucket.org/kloostermannerflab/fklab-controller-lab copy archived at KloostermanNERFLab, 2024 ).…”