Table 1 A summary of some studies of entropy in balance

[11]

Case study of a 73 y woman with a labyrinthine deficit. Balance training. Dynamic and static tests. Entropy variable: ApEn [28].

Higher entropy after training interpreted as "improved stability", "increased complexity", and as a sign of "a more self-organized system".

[12]

30 young adults. Modified SOT test. Dual task DT (digit recall) vs single task ST. Entropy variable: ApEn.

DT > ST (AP-direction, quiet standing). "Potential of ApEn to detect subtle changes in postural control." Higher ApEn interpreted as a mark of "less system constraint", and a decrease in ApEn as a "change in the allocation of attention."

[13]

30 young adults. QS, EO, EC, DT, ST. DT = uttering words backwards. Entropy variable: SampEn [5] ("regularity") plus scaling exponent, correlation dimension and Ljapunov exponent.

ST: EC < EO; EC: DT > ST. "Regularity of COP trajectories positively related to the amount of attention invested in postural control." Increasing entropy during DT/EC interpreted as an increase in "automaticity" or "efficiency" of postural control.

[14]

10 ballet dancers and 10 track athletes. Foam vs rigid support. Shoulder width stance. Entropy from RQA analysis [35].

Dancers < athletes; EC > EO; foam > rigid. Increasing entropy interpreted as sign of "greater flexibility". Note: the entropy here is calculated differently than SampEn or ApEn.

[10]

14 young and 14 elderly. QS 60 sec and prolonged 30 min. Shoulder width stance (60 sec). Entropy variable: mul-tiscale entropy MSEN [36] plus scaling exponent (DFA [6]).

Old > young (AP-direction); DFA: old < young. Higher entropy for elderly found to be "inconsistent with the hypothesis that complexity in the human physiological system decreases with aging."

[15]

11 low and 11 highly hypnotizable students. 30 sec QS with EC, plus mental computation. "Easy" = stable support; "difficult" = unstable support (foam). Feet position: 2 cm heel-to-heel, 35° splay. Entropy variable: SampEn.

Difficult > easy. "No significant hypnotizability-related modulation was observed."

[16]

10 diabetics II with symptomatic neuropathy, 10 asymptomatic diabetics, and 10 non-diabetics. QS, EO, EC, COP measured in AP-direction. Entropy variable: ApEn.

EC > EO stat. significant only for symptomatic diabetics.

[17]

19 preadolscent dancers and 16 age-matched non-dancers. 20 sec QS with

EO, EC, DT. DT = memorize words

from audiotape. Entropy variable: SampEn.

Dancers > non-dancers; EC < EO; DT > ST. Higher entropy interpreted as increased "au-tomaticity of postural control."

[18]

19 infants with typical development and 22 infants with delayed development. Sitting postural sway. Entropy variables: symbolic entropy and ApEn.

Delayed < typical in ML-direction. "Healthy postural control is seen to be more complex."

[1]

Case study no. 2, 18 y old collegiate soccer player with cerebral concussion. Entropy variable: ApEn.

Entropy decreased during recovery from concussion. Entropy "can be considered as a measure of system complexity". "Lesser amounts of complexity are associated with both periodic and random states where the system is either too rigid or too unstable."