Trunk muscle proprioceptive input assists steering of locomotion

During locomotion, human subjects navigate in their environment and choose the direction by means of the internal representation of space that is continuously updated by sensory input. Aim of this study was to assess whether trunk proprioceptive information plays a role in the definition of the refe...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Neuroscience letters 2005-08, Vol.384 (1), p.127-132
Main Authors: Schmid, Micaela, De Nunzio, Alessandro Marco, Schieppati, Marco
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Analysis of Variance
Biological and medical sciences
Eye Movements - physiology
Female
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Humans
Locomotion
Locomotion - physiology
Male
Muscle, Skeletal - innervation
Muscle, Skeletal - physiology
Orientation - physiology
Physical Stimulation
Postural Balance - physiology
Proprioception - physiology
Psychomotor Performance - physiology
Reference frame
Space Perception - physiology
Straight-ahead
Trunk muscle
Vertebrates: nervous system and sense organs
Vibration
Walking - physiology
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Summary:During locomotion, human subjects navigate in their environment and choose the direction by means of the internal representation of space that is continuously updated by sensory input. Aim of this study was to assess whether trunk proprioceptive information plays a role in the definition of the reference frame for orientation. Unilateral trunk muscle vibration was applied during locomotion along a straight path in seven subjects. Vibration was administered either from the onset or in the middle of a seven-step task, under eyes-open (EO) or blindfolded condition. The deviation of the walking trajectory was quantified by the distance of the seventh from the first foot print along the medio-lateral axis. Foot angles and stride lengths were computed for all foot-falls. Vibration produced a clear-cut deviation from the straight-ahead direction when delivered in the middle of blindfolded locomotion. With EO the deviation was much smaller. A mild deviation was obtained in blindfolded condition when vibration started at the onset of locomotion. All deviations from the straight-ahead were accompanied by coherent changes in foot orientation on the ground. Trunk proprioception plays a major role in the definition of locomotor trajectory. Trunk input seems to be weighted against vision and whole-body kinematic information.
ISSN:0304-3940
1872-7972
DOI:10.1016/j.neulet.2005.04.059