[M. sternocleidomastoideus mechanical stimulation produces lateralized effect on body schema perception]

Neck muscles play important role in body schema perception, pose and motor control. The mechanical neck muscles stimulation can influence these processes. On present investigation the kinesiology tape (KT) application was used as a local mechanical stimulation for M. sternocleidomastoideus. The results confirmed the influence of the KT application on the body schema perception. Moreover, the influence effect was lateralized in dependence on the side of the KT application. In most of the subjects the KT left application diminished the reaction time in the body schema mental rotation task. The right the KT application has not shown this effect. The possible causes of the KT application lateralized effect can be the proprioceptive asymmetry in neck muscles or the hemispheric functional asymmetry of the body schema perception process. The results may be useful for understanding the neurological nature of asymmetric body schema perception impairments as well as for the development of sport training methods.