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Postural Adjustments during Interactions with an Active Partner
Matteo Bertucco1, Francesca Nardello1, Riccardo Magris1
1Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.
Neuroscience
|March 28, 2021
Summary
Human postural stability during interaction relies on anticipatory strategies. Muscle co-activation and preparation are key to maintaining balance when engaging with an active partner, unlike passive interactions.
Area of Science:
- Human motor control
- Postural stability
- Human-computer interaction
Background:
- Maintaining upright posture involves complex anticipatory and compensatory strategies.
- Understanding postural adjustments during interaction with active partners remains limited.
- Previous research often focuses on interactions with passive objects, not dynamic partners.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate postural adjustments in humans interacting with an active partner.
- To explore how players modify preparatory and compensatory postural adjustments during a game.
- To analyze muscle activity patterns, including co-activation, during interactive postural challenges.
Main Methods:
- Two healthy participants engaged in a hand-pushing game, creating mutual perturbations.
- Electromyograms (EMGs) recorded from leg and trunk muscles to quantify postural adjustments.
- Analysis included early (EPAs), anticipatory (APAs), and compensatory (CPAs) postural adjustments, and muscle co-activation.
Main Results:
- Higher muscle co-activation indices were observed during early postural adjustments (EPAs) in the game compared to controls.
- Postural preparation strategies were critical determinants of maintaining or losing balance.
- Significant differences in strategies were noted when interacting with an active partner versus passive objects.
Conclusions:
- Muscle co-activation plays a crucial role in stabilizing posture during dynamic interpersonal interactions.
- Anticipation and effective postural preparation are vital for maintaining balance in interactive scenarios.
- Human postural control strategies differ significantly when interacting with active, unpredictable partners.
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