Postural Control in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Postural control impairment is common in people with COPD (pwCOPD), which can increase the risk of falls and affect quality of life. However, the majority of existing studies examine this postural control in isolation, without taking into account the cognitive demands that occur during activities of daily living during which individuals are often required to perform a mental task while maintaining their balance. This research aims to fill this gap by studying how a cognitive task can influence postural control in pwCOPD. We hypothesized an impaired postural control in pwCOPD compared to healthy individuals, which would be exacerbated in presence of a cognitive task.