Textured Insoles & Foot Stimulation Increase Brain Activation

As the founder of Naboso Textured Insoles and being a barefoot science educator I am very passionate about the benefits barefoot sensory stimulation can have on movement optimization and longevity.

I am constantly reading the latest research in this field and am excited to share any studies that further validate the benefits of both barefoot and Naboso. I recently came across a study I wanted to share with everyone.

We know that wearing textured insoles can reduce postural sway, but the exact brain mechanisms by which these changes occur are not well understood. A 2020 study by Kenny et al. compared the effects of smooth vs. textured insoles on EEG brain activation. Kenny found that there was increases parietal lobe activity when wearing the textured insoles.

What does that mean?

The parietal lobe of the brain is involved in sensation, perception and the integration of sensory input to build body image and spatial relations. Or in other words it plays a role in the awareness of the body in space which translates to balance and stability. The greater the stimulation of this area the more accurate of a picture that is created by the brain.

Kenny et al. concluded that textured insoles appear to affect not only balance outcomes but also cortical parietal lobe brain activity. The cortical activity adaptation represents that greater information is becoming readily available at the brain level, enhancing the representation of the body in space.

This study supports the role for textured insoles in neurological rehabilitation such as that for stroke, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, TBI, spinal cord injury + more.

To learn more about the application of Naboso Technology Textured Insoles and balance, posture, gait please contact orders@nabosotechnology.com