Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 27, 2026
Experimental Methods to Study Human Postural Control
Published on: September 11, 2019
Effects of attentional dispersion on sensory-motor processing of anticipatory postural control during unilateral arm
Chie Yaguchi1, Katsuo Fujiwara
1Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Human Science, Hokkaido Bunkyo University, 5-196-1 Kogane-chuo, Eniwa 061-1449, Japan.
Objective:
We investigated effects of attentional dispersion on sensory-motor processing of anticipatory postural control during unilateral arm abduction.
Methods:
Thirteen adults performed arm abduction under two types of attentional dispersion conditions. A target stimulus was presented with 30% probability in two- or three-positions. By cue signal presentation, subjects either focused their attention on one position or divided attention for two or three positions and abducted right arm for target stimulus. Event-related potentials and onset time of postural muscles were measured.
Results:
P1-N1 and N2 amplitudes decreased with attentional dispersion in both conditions, but P3 did not change. With attentional dispersion to three-positions, N2 latency increased and start of late CNV was delayed, and also the onset time of gluteus medius was late in correlation to the late CNV changings, with no changings in two-positions.
Conclusions:
With attentional dispersion, brain activation decreased in the area related to the sensory processing and especially in the stimulus discrimination area. With increasing attentional dispersion, the delay in motor preparation or anticipatory attention to target stimuli was related to the delay in stimulus discrimination and onset time of postural muscle activation.
Significance:
Effects of attentional dispersion on sensory-motor processing of anticipatory postural control were experimentally demonstrated.
More Related Videos
06:46Investigating the Deployment of Visual Attention Before Accurate and Averaging Saccades via Eye Tracking and Assessment of Visual Sensitivity
Published on: March 18, 2019
07:52Evaluating Postural Control and Lower-extremity Muscle Activation in Individuals with Chronic Ankle Instability
Published on: September 18, 2020