Objective Cognitive tasks play a pivotal role in the posture control of young adults. The study aims to explore the characteristics of static posture control under dual-task conditions by using wavelet analysis, a frequency-domain analysis method, so as to understand the dynamic changes of posture control of young adults under dual-task conditions more comprehensively.

Methods 24 young adults (mean age 22.6 ± 2.3 years) completed single and cognitive-postural tasks on a force plate. Single-leg stance with eyes open lasted 60 seconds; cognitive task involved subtracting 7 from random numbers. Time-frequency features of center of pressure (COP) signal and wavelet decomposition energy were computed. Paired t-tests analyzed data.

Results Dual-task group, compared to single-task, showed significant differences in COP indicators: total trajectory length, normalized length, and average velocity (p <0.05), notably in y-axis length and velocity (p <0.001). Energy content analysis found dual-task group significantly differed in energy ratio of four frequency bands along x-axis (p < 0.05), but no differences along y-axis.

Conclusion Postural control ability in young adults was significantly impaired under dual-task conditions, manifested through reduced balance stability and altered sensory dependence strategies - specifically, increased reliance on proprioception over visual input. It provides a crucial basis for public health intervention to prevent falls, suggesting that proprioceptive training should be strengthened for high-risk groups, such as the elderly and occupationally exposed groups, and dual-task training should be incorporated into public health promotion strategies to reduce the risks related to falls.

The authors have declared no competing interest.

none

The author(s) received no specific funding for this work.

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This study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of Soochow University (No. ECSU-2019000209).

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