Head and trunk movements in the frontal plane during complex.pdfVIP

Exp Brain Res (1995) 106:327-338 9 Springer-Verlag 1995 R E S E A R C H A R T I C L E T. P o z z o 9Y. L e v i k 9A . B e r t h o z Head and trunk movements in the frontal plane during complex dynamic equilibrium tasks in humans Received: 16June 1994/ Accepted: 28 April 1995 Abstract Eight normal human subjects were asked to for effective dynamic postural control in the frontal plane maintain monopodal equilibrium on a narrow beam (task during complex equilibrium tasks. 1) or bipodal equilibrium on an unstable rocking plat- form (task 2) for 5 s. Each task was performed under Key words Lateral stability - Head orientation 9 four experimental conditions: (1) in light, (2) in dark- Postural references - Human ness, (3) in light while subject had to hold a full cup of water, and (4) as in 3, but with additional instructions to fix the gaze on the cup. The movements of the trunk and Introduction head in the frontal plane were recorded by means of a 50-Hz TV image analyzer that computed the coordinates Lower limb strategies involved in the maintenance of of small reflective markers glued on the skin of the sub- equilibrium have been extensively and clearly described jects. On the beam the trunk was inclined on the side of during unexpected movements of the support surface. the supporting foot (13e9~ on the rocking platform the Using this bottom-up approach, which explains postur- mean trunk orientation during the tests was nearly verti- al control from lower limb to upper limb, Horak and