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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 2, 2026

Evaluating Postural Control and Lower-extremity Muscle Activation in Individuals with Chronic Ankle Instability

Evaluating Postural Control and Lower-extremity Muscle Activation in Individuals with Chronic Ankle Instability

Published on: September 18, 2020

Visual flow is interpreted relative to multisegment postural control.

Tim Kiemel¹, Yuanfen Zhang, John J Jeka

¹Department of Kinesiology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742-2611, USA. kiemel@umd.edu

Journal of Motor Behavior

|May 3, 2011

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Human balance control uses visual input to distinguish between head translation and rotation. This suggests a unified neural signal regulates leg and trunk muscle activity for maintaining upright posture.

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Area of Science:

Human sensorimotor control
Multisensory integration
Postural stability

Background:

Maintaining upright stance relies on the nervous system integrating multisensory information.
Visual input is crucial for estimating body segment movements during postural control.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the role of visual information in multisegmental estimation for upright stance.
To determine how different types of visual-scene motion influence postural responses.

Main Methods:

Participants experienced three visual-scene movement conditions: anteroposterior translation, ankle rotation, and hip rotation.
Trunk and leg responses were measured to assess postural adjustments.

Main Results:

Postural responses (trunk and leg) were significantly larger for rotational movements compared to translational movements at lower frequencies.
Visual condition effects on leg and trunk responses were similar.

Conclusions:

Visual inputs enable the nervous system to differentiate between head translation and rotation.
A single control signal likely governs muscle activation across multiple body segments (leg and trunk) for postural control.