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Related Experiment Videos

Neck muscle fatigue affects postural control in man.

M Schieppati1, A Nardone, M Schmid

  • 1Department of Experimental Medicine, Section of Human Physiology, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy. mschieppati@fsm.it

Neuroscience
|October 3, 2003
PubMed
Summary

Neck muscle fatigue disrupts body balance control by altering sensory input, leading to instability. Vision helps overcome these effects, restoring postural control after recovery.

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Biomechanics
  • Human Physiology

Background:

  • Anomalous neck proprioception can negatively impact posture.
  • Neck muscle fatigue may alter body balance through altered afferent inflow.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the effects of neck muscle fatigue on body balance control.
  • To determine if fatigue-induced afferent inflow impacts postural stability.
  • To assess the role of vision in mitigating these effects.

Main Methods:

  • Eighteen subjects performed fatiguing contractions of head extensor muscles.
  • Body sway was measured using a dynamometric platform before, during, and after fatigue and recovery.
  • Surface EMG recorded neck muscle activity, and subjects rated their postural control subjectively.

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Main Results:

  • Neck muscle fatigue significantly increased body sway, particularly without vision.
  • Postural control scores decreased with increased sway, with a more pronounced effect after fatigue.
  • Recovery periods partially restored balance, but fatigue effects were significant without vision.

Conclusions:

  • Neck muscle fatigue impairs postural control by generating abnormal sensory input to the central nervous system (CNS).
  • This results in a lasting sense of instability, which can be overcome by visual input.
  • The degree of fatigue, indicated by EMG changes, correlated with the impact on balance.