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Voluntary and involuntary postural responses to imposed optic flow
Thomas A Stoffregen1, Philip Hove, Jennifer Schmit
1School of Kinesiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
Motor Control
|March 31, 2006
Summary
Postural control responses to visual motion are partly voluntary. Participants could reduce body sway linked to visual stimuli by actively resisting, showing it
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Human motor control
- Perception and action
Background:
- Postural control relies on sensory information, including visual cues.
- The automaticity of visual-vestibular integration in maintaining balance is debated.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the voluntary control of postural responses to imposed optic flow.
- To determine if individuals can modulate the coupling between body sway and visual motion.
Main Methods:
- Participants stood in a moving room, experiencing imposed optic flow.
- Two conditions were tested: normal stance and actively resisting visual influence.
- Body sway was measured and coupled with room motion.
Main Results:
- When resisting, body sway coupling to optic flow was reduced compared to normal stance.
- However, coupling was greater than when eyes were closed, indicating partial voluntary influence.
- This suggests a modifiable interaction between visual input and postural adjustments.
Conclusions:
- Postural responses to optic flow are not entirely involuntary.
- Non-perceptual factors may influence the degree of body sway coupling to visual stimuli.
- This opens avenues for research into cognitive and attentional influences on balance.