Manipulation of posture by cutaneous stimulation or When the skin sings the body dances
Event details
| Date | 07.03.2013 |
| Hour | 14:30 |
| Speaker | Prof. Bernard Martin, University of Michigan |
| Location |
ME B1 B10
|
| Category | Conferences - Seminars |
Cutaneous information from joint areas has been attributed proprioceptive properties similar to those of muscle spindles. We attempted to determine whether torso cutaneous information contributes to upper body spatial representation by manipulation of torso tactile information via mechanical vibrations applied to the skin at locations distributed around the torso at he L4/l5 level while subjects maintained an upright posture with the eyes closed. Vibration was applied at 1) single locations 2) to two homonymous or heteronymous locations [co-vibration], or 3) to all locations simultaneously. Single vibrations induce an inclination of the torso in the direction of the vibration, with only an exception for vibrations applied in the coronal plane. The kinematic analysis of the body segments indicated that co-vibration applied to the skin over the internal oblique muscles induced shifts of both the head and torso in the anterior direction (torso flexion) while the hips shifted in the posterior direction (ankle plantar flexion). Conversely, co-vibration applied to the skin over the erector spinae muscles produced opposite effects. However, co-vibration applied to the skin over the left internal oblique and left erector spinae, the right internal oblique and right erector spinae, or at all locations simultaneously did not induce any significant postural changes. In addition, the center of pressure position as measured by a force plate remained unaffected by any of the vibration conditions tested. These results were independent of stance and suggest an integrated and coordinated reorganization of posture in response to vibration-induced changes in cutaneous information. In addition, combinations of vibrotactile stimuli over multiple locations present summation properties when compared to individual responses. These results also show that cutaneous information contribute to the internal representation of the body in space and may be used to inform the design of rehabilitation/training devices based on tactile stimulation.
Practical information
- General public
- Free
Organizer
- Gallo Simone
Contact
- Dr. Mohamed Bouri