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Related Experiment Videos

Voluntary head stabilization in space during trunk movements in weightlessness.

B Amblard1, C Assaiante, J C Fabre

  • 1UPR Neurobiologie et Mouvements, CNRS, Marseille, France.

Acta Astronautica
|October 1, 1995
PubMed
Summary

Healthy subjects can stabilize their heads in space during trunk oscillations in microgravity, even without vision. This suggests head stabilization relies on dynamic vestibular input or body schemes, not just static vestibular or proprioceptive cues.

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Human Physiology
  • Space Biology

Background:

  • Voluntary head stabilization is crucial for maintaining spatial orientation.
  • Understanding head-trunk coordination is vital, especially in altered gravity environments.
  • Vestibular and proprioceptive systems are traditionally considered key for head stabilization.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate head stabilization in space during trunk oscillations under microgravity.
  • To determine the role of vision and vestibular/proprioceptive inputs in head stabilization.
  • To explore the underlying mechanisms of voluntary head stabilization.

Main Methods:

  • Parabolic flights were used to simulate microgravity and normal gravity conditions.
  • Five healthy young subjects performed rhythmic trunk oscillations with eyes open and closed.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Head stabilization was assessed across different gravitational phases.

    • Main Results:

    • Head stabilization around the roll axis was achieved in microgravity, irrespective of visual input.
    • Absence of head stabilization around the yaw axis confirmed independent neck control.
    • Reduced vestibular and muscle proprioceptive inputs did not prevent head stabilization in microgravity.

    Conclusions:

    • Voluntary head stabilization in space does not critically depend on static vestibular afferents.
    • Head stabilization mechanisms may involve dynamic vestibular afferents or a postural body scheme.
    • Neck's degrees of freedom can be independently controlled during altered sensory input.