SCIENTIFIC PROGRAM

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ORAL PRESENTATIONS
POSTER PRESENTATIONS

ORAL PRESENTATIONS

Sunday, September 20, 2026

10:00–13:30

Refreshment point — Centre of Experimental Medicine, Institute of Normal and Pathological Physiology, Sienkiewiczova 1, Bratislava (Google Maps)

14:30

Shuttle bus to Smolenice — meeting point: Fajnorovo nábrežie, parking lot (Google Maps)

15:30–16:30

Registration and accommodation, Smolenice Castle

17:00–17:15

Opening address — Director, Centre of Experimental Medicine, Slovak Academy of Sciences

17:15–18:15
Keynote lecture

Carpenter M. G.Canada — Balancing "on edge": the effects of fear and anxiety on sensori-motor control of balance

19:00

Welcome reception

Monday, September 21, 2026

7:30–8:30

Breakfast

Session 1 · Balance and Gait Control in Neurological Diseases — Stroke

Chairs: Menant, Weerdesteyn

8:30–9:10

Menant J.Australia — Interactive cognitive-motor step training to improve balance and mobility in clinical groups at risk of falls

9:10–9:25

Weerdesteyn V.The Netherlands — Single-session perturbation-based training followed by home-based exergaming to enhance resistance to falls after stroke

9:25–9:40

Kolářová B.Czech Republic — Gait recovery after first-ever ischemic stroke: a pilot observational study

9:40–9:55

Bzdúšková D.Slovakia — Effects of visual biofeedback-based training on limits of stability and functional outcomes in subacute stroke patients

9:55–10:30

Coffee break

Session 2 · Balance and Gait Control in Neurological Diseases — Parkinson's Disease

Chairs: Horak, Ehgoetz Martens

10:30–11:10

Ehgoetz Martens K.Canada — Combining digital outcomes of mobility with mobile brain imaging to predict future Parkinson's disease

11:10–11:25

Jeka J.USA — Transcranial photobiomodulation for the treatment of Parkinson's disease

11:25–11:40

Papacek O.Czech Republic — Preoperative freezing of gait predicts long-term gait outcomes after deep brain stimulation in Parkinson's disease

11:40–11:55

Touzé V.France — How many steps to reach steady state of postural stability, progression velocity, and step length during gait initiation? Effects of ageing and PD

11:55–12:10

Santos P.C.R.Brazil — Motor severity does not affect habituation to unpredictable postural perturbations in Parkinson's disease

12:10–12:30

Introduction of the Communication in Kinesiology (CiK) — S. Bruijn

12:30–13:30

Lunch

Session 3 · Sensory Integration

Chairs: Wright, Oates

13:30–14:10

Wright W. G.USA — Beyond the sensory organization test: a portable scalable virtual reality platform for precision assessment of postural control

14:10–14:25

Assländer L.Germany — Validity of the rod and frame test and the Romberg ratio as methods to assess visual dependence in human standing balance

14:25–15:05

Oates A.Canada — Sensorimotor integration for backward walking balance control

15:05–15:20

Fujii M.USA — Postural control in response to simultaneous six-dimensional pseudorandom platform perturbations

15:20–16:20

Coffee break + POSTERS 1

Session 4 · Vestibular System

Chairs: Reynolds, Jeka

16:20–16:35

Reynolds R.UK — Ocular torsion responses to electrical vestibular stimulation in Ménière's disease and vestibular schwannoma

16:35–16:50

Gaskell P.UK — Ocular torsional responses to electrical vestibular stimulation in children: a tolerability and feasibility study

16:50–17:05

Slováková M.Czech Republic — Unrecognized benign paroxysmal positional vertigo in older adults

17:05–17:20

Zur O.Israel — Beyond vestibular recovery: functional gait improvement through sensorimotor adaptation after COVID-19

19:00

Barbecue dinner + folk music

Tuesday, September 22, 2026

7:30–8:30

Breakfast

Session 5 · Ageing

Chairs: Baudry, Svoboda

8:30–9:10

Baudry S.Belgium — Ageing shifts postural control toward greater visual reliance

9:10–9:25

Menant J.Australia — Cortical activity during a gait adaptability task in older adults

9:25–9:40

Giesbers I.The Netherlands — Ageing affects the neural mechanisms of reflexive step initiation

9:40–9:55

Svoboda Z.Czech Republic — Functional differences between lower limbs during gait in relation to fall risk

9:55–10:10

Slobodová L.Slovakia — Physical fitness, body composition, and cognitive profiles in older adults: a sex-specific perspective

10:10–11:00

Coffee break + POSTERS 2

Session 6 · Muscles, EMG and Sport

Chairs: Ebenbichler, Di Giulio

11:00–11:15

Ebenbichler G.Austria — Impact of machine-based core muscle strengthening on back muscle function in chronic low back pain across age groups and sexes

11:15–11:30

Di Giulio I.UK — Asymmetries in individuals with lower limb amputation are not explained by muscle co-contraction. A pilot study

11:30–11:45

Klein T.Czech Republic — Motor-unit behavior of abductor hallucis and medial gastrocnemius during concentric, eccentric and isometric heel-rise conditions

11:45–12:00

Gonosová Z.Czech Republic — Eccentric strength and postural perturbations following gymnastic landings

12:00–12:15

Křižanová J.Czech Republic — Postural stability during skating-specific postural tasks in female figure skaters of different age

12:15–13:15

Lunch

from 13:30

Social activities — timing confirmed later, depending on activity chosen

19:00

Farewell dinner

Wednesday, September 23, 2026

7:30–8:30

Breakfast

8:30–9:00

Check-out and luggage collection at the reception desk

Session 7 · Models in Postural Control

Chairs: Bruijn, Hatzitaki

9:00–9:15

Bruijn S.The Netherlands — The limits of using angular momentum to control center of mass position

9:15–9:30

Geng Y.The Netherlands — Position gains during standing remain slightly above critical values under different loading conditions

9:30–9:45

Hatzitaki V.Greece — Effect of body lean on stopping a voluntary forward sway

9:45–10:00

Nigrelli E.USA — Design recommendations for automated balance training systems

10:00–10:15

Closing of the symposium

10:15–10:45

Coffee break

10:45–11:30

Guided tour of Smolenice Castle

11:30–12:30

Lunch

12:30

Shuttle bus to Bratislava

14:00–14:30

Arrival in Bratislava

POSTER PRESENTATIONS

MONDAY, SEPT 21, 2026

Posters 1 · 15:20–16:20

P1

Van Baelen E. Belgium — Posture and gait outcomes following otolith-targeted vestibular implantation in adults with bilateral vestibulopathy

P2

Arts R. Belgium — Baseline patient-reported and demographic predictors of gait response after vestibular implantation in adults with bilateral vestibulopathy

P3

Reynolds R. UK — Age-related changes in head-to-foot proprioception do not influence vestibular-evoked balance response direction

P4

Fujii M. USA — The impact of mild hypoxia on postural control

P5

Huxley J. UK — Gait and balance features in Parkinson's disease

P6

Janovič Š. Slovakia — Longitudinal change in antisaccade error rate is associated with TUG performance after STN-DBS in Parkinson's disease

P7

Kitsikoudis P. Greece — Muscle activation patterns underlying successful stopping of voluntary sway at different body lean positions

TUESDAY, SEPT 22, 2026

Posters 2 · 10:10–11:00

P8

Ely M. Czech Republic — Participants' perspectives on the EnviroFit60+ physical activity and environmental health program for older adults

P9

Jasenská M. Czech Republic — Monitoring gait motor imagery across experimental conditions before and during fMRI

P10

Gábor M. Slovakia — Autoreflex prenatal and postnatal positions: a clinical concept for postural control rehabilitation

P11

Kimijanová J. Slovakia — Alterations of anterior limit of stability in pregnancy and postpartum under visual deprivation

P12

Hirjaková Z. Slovakia — Trunk sway jerkiness: a sensitive indicator of fear-related postural stiffening during virtual height exposure

P13

Musialová L. Czech Republic — Lower-limb dynamic stability profile and its association with functional hop performance in female football players

The program may still be updated. Last update: JULY 28, 11:00 pm.