Contribution Of Proprioception Research Articles

The interactive contribution of neck muscle proprioception and vestibular stimulation to subjective ?straight ahead? orientation in man

Seventeen normal subjects were asked to direct a laser point to the position they felt to lie exactly straight ahead of their body. Subjects were seated in complete darkness in an approximately spherical cabin in an upright position with the orientation of the trunk and head aligned. For both the horizontal and vertical plane, "straight ahead" judgements were closely scattered around the objective straight ahead body position. Posterior neck muscle vibration as well as caloric vestibular stimulation with ice water led to (1) an apparent motion and horizontal displacement of a stationary visual target to the side opposite to stimulation and (2) a horizontal deviation of subjective "straight ahead" perception toward the side of stimulation. Only those subjects who experienced an illusion of target motion also showed a deviation of their subjective body orientation. No systematic effect of a displacement of subjective body orientation in the vertical plane was detected. When vestibular stimulation and neck muscle vibration were combined their effects were additive, i.e. the horizontal deviation of subjective body orientation observed when either type of stimulation was applied in isolation, was linearly combined either by summation or by cancellation. The present results clearly support the assumption that afferent visual, vestibular and proprioceptive input converge to the neural generation of an egocentric, body-centred coordinate system that allows us to determine our body position with respect to visual space.

The role of proprioception in the control of prehension movements: a kinematic study in a peripherally deafferented patient and in normal subjects

In this study we investigated the role of proprioception in the control of prehension movements, with particular reference to the grasp component. Grasp and transport kinematics were studied in a peripherally deafferented patient and in five healthy subjects. Two experiments were carried out: the prehension experiment and the grasp perturbation experiment. In the prehension experiment both the patient and the control subjects were required to reach and grasp three objects of different size, located at three different distances, both with and without visual feedback. In the grasp perturbation experiment a mechanical perturbation was applied to the fingers during prehension movements, again executed with and without visual feedback. In the prehension experiment temporal parameters of the patient's movements were generally slowed, with greater variability on some measures. However, over the first phase of the movement the pattern of the patient's hand opening and transport acceleration, scaled to object size and distance, was the same as that of controls, both with and without visual feedback. On the contrary, during the final phase of the movement (the finger closure phase and deceleration) the patient's performance differed significantly from the controls. These phases were abnormally lengthened and frequent movement adjustments were observed. In the grasp perturbation experiment the patient was not able to compensate for the perturbations applied to the fingers, even with visual feedback. The data allowed us to investigate also the respective contribution of proprioception and of vision of the hand in the control of prehension. We compared prehension kinematics in two conditions: (a) with visual but no proprioceptive feedback (in the patient) and (b) with proprioceptive but no visual feedback (in the controls). In both experiments proprioceptive control was more efficient than visual control. The results of this study are interpreted in favour of the strict dependence of prehension control on proprioception. The first phase of the movement, however, can be appropriately planned and executed without the necessity of either proprioceptive or visual information about the hand.

Sensory interaction testing in platform posturography

Mostly techniques measuring the vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) have been used for the evaluation of patients with dizziness problems. Some investigators, however, have also tried to take into account the vestibulospinal reflex (VSR). So recording techniques for the Romberg-test have been proposed and called posturography (PG). By interfering with the visual and proprioceptive sensory inputs during this PG-testing one tries to find out how 'sensory interaction' is organized in the balance performance of the patient examined. To interfere with vision, closure of the eyes has been commonly used and to interfere with proprioception, the patient can be put on foam-rubber, which makes the contribution of the foot-ankle proprioception less adequate. These interferences are applied once separately and once combined. The degree of 'abnormality' is assessed by a score-system for parameters surface (S) and velocity (V), which measure the postural sway. A comparison of tests with and without influence on the sensory inputs gives an idea of the sensory interaction. Patients with peripheral vestibular disorders were examined: patients with BPPV, with spontaneous vertigo attacks and with a sudden vestibular deficit. When applying this evaluation technique different formulae or patterns can be found. Firstly complete normal evaluation, which means that there is no influence of the vestibular disturbance upon the PG results. Secondly a normal balance when using all available sensory information, but disturbed balance as soon as one of the sensory inputs is influenced by the test conditions. Thirdly striking destabilization when closing the eyes. Fourthly striking destabilization when misleading the ankle and foot proprioceptor.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

The contribution of proprioception to posture control in normal subjects.

In order to investigate the contribution of proprioceptive input to maintaining an upright position, stabilometry via 100-Hz vibratory stimulation applied to the Achilles tendon was studied and analyzed with respect to area, length and power spectra according to the method of fast Fourier transform (FFT). Twenty-one young medical students were analyzed in this study. When vibration was applied, the body sway was significantly greater than that of control in area and length with both eyes open and closed. There was a significant increase of total power in both the lateral (X) and antero-posterior (Y) directions with the eyes closed. With the eyes open, an increase was found only in the antero-posterior direction. The frequency band indicating the maximum spectrum did not shift. Significant increases in power spectra were found in the frequency range of more than 2 Hz in both two directions with the eyes closed. It was concluded that a vibration given to the Achilles tendon provoked a pronounced high frequency body sway especially in the antero-posterior direction when visual information was nullified, and that proprioceptive information may have a minor role compared with visual information.

Contribution of eye muscle proprioception to velocity-response characteristics of eye movements: involvement of the cerebellar flocculus

The vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) and optokinetic nystagmus (OKN) were examined in alert pigmented rabbits following interruption of proprioceptive afferents from the extraocular muscles in one eye by surgical section of the ophthalmic branch of the trigeminal nerve (V 1 nerve). Deficits were mainly produced in movement dynamics of the ipsilateral eye including reduction of (1) the VOR gain at a high frequency of head rotation, (2) the OKN gain and (3) the velocity of quick eye movements in the OKN. In some of the rabbits examined, the cerebellar flocculus was lesioned by local injection of kainic acid before severance of the V 1 nerve. No significant additional reductions of VOR or OKN gains were produced by V 1 nerve section in the flocculus-lesioned rabbits. These results suggest that proprioceptive signals from eye muscles act to improve VOR and OKN dynamics through the neuronal mechanisms involving the cerebellar flocculus.

Joint proprioception in normal, osteoarthritic and replaced knees

We measured joint position sense in the knee by a new method which tests the proprioceptive contribution of the joint capsule and ligaments. The leg was supported on a splint, and held in several positions of flexion. The subjects' perception of the position was recorded on a visual analogue model and compared with the actual angle of flexion. Eighty-one normal and 45 osteoarthritic knees were examined, as were 10 knees with semi-constrained and 11 with hinged joint replacements. All were assessed with and without an elastic bandage around the knee. There was a steady decline in joint position sense with age in subjects with normal knees. Those with osteoarthritic knees had impaired joint position sense at all ages (p less than 0.001). Knee replacement improved the joint position sense slightly (p less than 0.02); semi-constrained replacement had a greater effect than hinged replacement. The effect of an elastic bandage in subjects with poor position sense was dramatic, improving accuracy by 40% (p less than 0.001). It is proposed that reduced proprioception in elderly and osteoarthritic subjects may be responsible for initiation or advancement of degeneration of the knee.

Quantitative Diagnostic Tests for Perilymph Fistulas

The definitive diagnosis of perilymph fistulas can be made only by tympanotomy, and previous attempts to record vestibular abnormalities based on eye movement recordings have been of limited value because of the inability to isolate vestibular reflexes from visual and proprioceptive contributions to body muscle control. In the past, therefore, tests for suspected perilymph fistulas yielded unacceptably high false—negative and false—positive test results. At the meeting, F. Owen Black, MD, and associates David J. Lilly, PhD, Lewis M. Nashner, DSc, and Robert J. Peterka, PhD, Neurological Sciences Institute, Good Samaritan Hospital and Medical Center, Portland, Ore, reported that a new fistula test based on vestibulospinal reflexes has been developed. This test is based on vestibulospinal responses to sinusoidally modulated air pressures within the external auditory canal. During this test, vision and support-surface orientation references are removed systematically from a standing patient. With only vestibular control of posture available, patients with

Proprioceptive contributions to tactile identification of figures: Dependence on figure size

Studies on the recognition of objects or shapes explored by a hand or finger have concentrated on the relative merits of different methods of exploration — in particular, whether the exploring hand or finger is moved by the subject himself ( active), is guided by an assistant ( passive), or remains stationary with the shape being moved by an assistant ( tactile). These factors, together with another variable — the size of the explored shape — were investigated in twelve normal adults whose task, without the aid of vision, was to explore and identify various shapes with the tip of the extended right index finger. Two series of shapes were used, a large (15 cm) and small (3 cm) series, both of which consisted of twelve shapes each being a variant of the letter ‘S’. The shapes were outlined as rows of Braille-like dots on a flat surface. Exploration was also tested in the proprioceptive mode, in which the exploring hand was guided by an assistant around a shape which was simply drawn on the surface so as to give a minimum of tactile information. For neither large nor small shapes could we demonstrate differences between active, passive and proprioceptive exploration. For the small shapes, the active, passive and proprioceptive modes gave no advantage over purely tactile assessment. However, for the larger shapes, active, passive and proprioceptive modes allowed better identification than movement of the shape. Thus, purely cutaneous signals appear sufficient for optimal discrimination of small figures but proprioceptive signals, generated by movement, are needed for optimal discrimination of larger figures.

A proprioceptive contribution to the spatial encoding of position cues for ballistic movements

(1) The aim of this investigation was to examine if and how proprioceptive information can be encoded in order to locate cues for ballistic reaching in the absence of corrective feedback of exteroceptive origin. Systematic errors in locating the position of the fingertip of the target hand by the reaching hand were observed, according to experimental conditions; but the subjects were unable to make a perceptual evaluation of them. (2) The first set of experiments was designed to determine how different localizing cues (proprioceptive, tactile or visual or combinations thereof) may contribute to the accuracy of ‘open loop’ manual reaching. Five different types of constant error were identified. This led to a search for 5 different kinds of sensory cues about finger target location, which may be encoded to program the reaching movement of the other hand. Such cues are respectively associated with active positioning, passive positioning, stabilized position, vision of the stabilized hand and tactile stimulation during movement of the target hand. The most striking observation was that some proprioceptive information, brought into play by movement and absent during stabilized position of the limb, may contribute to the spatial encoding of sensory cues. In this respect, some specific signal associated with self-induced movement seems to play a role in calibrating the exact location of the final position of the moved limb in external space. (3) The second set of investigations was undertaken in order to assess the nature and origin of the calibrating information produced by active movement. Convergent results were obtained, either by changing the speed of movement of the target hand or by cooling, or ever vibrating, the working muscles; and these results support the hypothesis that a velocity signal incorporated in the dynamic discharge of muscle spindle receptors may be involved in calibrating the final location of an actively-moved segment.

ANALYSIS OF POSITION SENSE IN HUMAN SHOULDER

ArticlesANALYSIS OF POSITION SENSE IN HUMAN SHOULDERLeonard A. CohenLeonard A. CohenPublished Online:01 Nov 1958https://doi.org/10.1152/jn.1958.21.6.550MoreSectionsPDF (2 MB)Download PDF ToolsExport citationAdd to favoritesGet permissionsTrack citations ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInWeChat Previous Back to Top Next Download PDF FiguresReferencesRelatedInformation Cited ByDynamic Upper Limb Proprioception in Multidirectional Shoulder InstabilityClinical Orthopaedics and Related Research, Vol. 420Starting Position of Movement and Perception of Angle of Trunk Flexion While Standing with Eyes Closed31 August 2016 | Perceptual and Motor Skills, Vol. 89, No. 1Localized muscle fatigue decreases the acuity of the movement sense in the human shoulderMedicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, Vol. 31, No. 7Repeatability of position sense measurements in persons with osteoarthritis of the knee: a pilot study1 July 2016 | Clinical Rehabilitation, Vol. 9, No. 4Elbow position sense in man: Contrasting results in matching and pointingHuman Movement Science, Vol. 8, No. 2Long-term evaluation of knee stability and function following surgical reconstruction for anterior cruciate ligament insufficiency23 April 2016 | The American Journal of Sports Medicine, Vol. 16, No. 5Trunk position sense in the frontal planeExperimental Neurology, Vol. 90, No. 1Does position sense at the elbow reflect a sense of elbow joint angle or one of limb orientation?Brain Research, Vol. 248, No. 2Perceptions of Movement Patterns: Recall of Movement6 October 2016 | Perceptual and Motor Skills, Vol. 47, No. 1A proprioceptive contribution to the spatial encoding of position cues for ballistic movementsBrain Research, Vol. 71, No. 2-3Non-Visual Estimation of near Space: A Ratio Scale6 October 2016 | Perceptual and Motor Skills, Vol. 29, No. 2Discharge patterns of lingual spindle afferent fibers in the hypoglossal nerve of the rhesus monkeyExperimental Neurology, Vol. 21, No. 1Comparative Analysis of Proprioception in Left and Right Arms 1 January 2018 | Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, Vol. 17, No. 2 More from this issue > Volume 21Issue 6November 1958Pages 550-562 https://doi.org/10.1152/jn.1958.21.6.550PubMed13599046History Published online 1 November 1958 Published in print 1 November 1958 Metrics