Stance Stability Research Articles

Is the stabilization of quiet upright stance in humans driven by synchronized modulations of the activity of medial and lateral gastrocnemius muscles?

A matrix of 120 electromyogram (EMG) electrodes (8 rows and 15 columns) was used to investigate individual activation patterns of the medial (MG) and lateral gastrocnemius (LG) muscles during forward sways of the body in human quiet stance. This matrix was positioned on the right calf of eight subjects after identification of the MG and LG contours with ultrasound scanning. Gray-scale images were generated with the maxima and minima of the cross-correlation function between the envelope of each EMG signal and the body center of pressure (CoP) for individual forward sways. These images were automatically segmented to reduce the data set into representative and local values of EMG-CoP cross-correlation for each muscle. On average, modulations in EMG amplitude preceded the onset of forward sways with a variable timing, with both gastrocnemius muscles being similarly and synchronously modulated in 193 out of 236 sways. Variations in the timing of activation between muscles were less frequent, although consistent across subjects and significantly correlated with changes in the direction and velocity of body sways. Interestingly, the time shift between EMG and CoP traces sometimes varied consistently along different channels of the same column of electrodes, either in proximal-to-distal or distal-to-proximal direction. The variable EMG-CoP cross-correlation delay was not congruent with the delay expected for the propagation of surface potentials along muscle fibers. Comparison of surface EMGs with intramuscular EMGs recorded from six subjects demonstrated that surface potentials provide high spatial selectivity, thus supporting the notion of selective activation of motor units during quiet standing. Hence, the stabilization of the quiet standing posture likely relies on flexible rather than stereotyped mechanisms of control.

Influence of voluntary teeth clenching on the stabilization of postural stance disturbed by electrical stimulation of unilateral lower limb

Studies on the relationship between dental occlusion and body balance have suggested that occlusion status contributes to the maintenance of postural balance. However, little has been reported about the effects of voluntary teeth clenching on the stabilization of postural stance in novel environments. In the present study we investigated whether teeth clenching influenced adaptation to the perturbation introduced by electrical stimulation of a unilateral lower limb. Subjects (12 adults) stood on a force plate, from which motion data were obtained in the horizontal plane with and without voluntary teeth clenching and were instructed to maintain the position throughout the experiment. We evoked a novel environment by supramaximal percutaneous electrical stimulation of the common peroneal nerve. Electromyograms (EMG) were recorded from the masseter and the peroneus longus (PL) muscles with bipolar surface cup electrodes. When the disturbed postural stance was generated by electrical stimulation, the maximum reaction force in the anterior–posterior (A/P) direction with teeth clenching (CL) was significantly smaller than that without voluntary teeth clenching (control; CO) ( p < 0.05) and the peak time of the ground reaction force/body mass (GRF/BM) in the A/P direction occurred earlier in the CL condition than CO ( p < 0.05). There were no significant differences in the peak-to-peak amplitude of GRF/BM and the peak time of GRF/BM, in the M/L direction under both CL and CO conditions. Thus, the present study showed that voluntary teeth clenching contributed to stabilization of the postural stance perturbed transiently by electrical stimulation. We concluded that voluntary teeth clenching plays an important role in rapid postural adaptation to the anterior–posterior perturbation in the upright position.

Misalignment of the knees: Does it affect human stance stability

Data describing the relationships between postural alignment and stance stability are scarce and controversial. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of sensory disturbances on knee alignment in upright stance and the effects of knee hyperextension on stance stability. Kinetic and kinematic data of 23 healthy adult women were collected while quietly standing in four sensory conditions. Kinematic data: knee angle (dependent variables) variations were analyzed across sensory conditions. Kinetic data: as subjects with hyperextended knees showed a clear tendency to flex their knees as balance challenge increased, center of pressure (COP) parameters (dependent variables) were analyzed in each sensory condition among trial sub-groups: Aligned-Trials (knee angle<180°), Hyperextended-Trials (>180°) and Adjusted-Trials (>180° initially, turned <180° under challenging conditions). Differences were found in mean velocity of COP in two conditions showing that knee alignment can affect stance stability. Knee hyperextension is a transient condition changing under postural challenges. Knee hyperextension affected postural control as mean velocity was the highest in the hyperextended group in natural standing sensory condition and lowest with sensory disturbance.

Vestibular humanoid postural control

Many of our motor activities require stabilization against external disturbances. This especially applies to biped stance since it is inherently unstable. Disturbance compensation is mainly reactive, depending on sensory inputs and real-time sensor fusion. In humans, the vestibular system plays a major role. When there is no visual space reference, vestibular-loss clearly impairs stance stability. Most humanoid robots do not use a vestibular system, but stabilize upright body posture by means of center of pressure (COP) control. We here suggest using in addition a vestibular sensor and present a biologically inspired vestibular sensor along with a human-inspired stance control mechanism. We proceed in two steps. First, in an introductory review part, we report on relevant human sensors and their role in stance control, focusing on own models of transmitter fusion in the vestibular sensor and sensor fusion in stance control. In a second, experimental part, the models are used to construct an artificial vestibular system and to embed it into the stance control of a humanoid. The robot’s performance is investigated using tilts of the support surface. The results are compared to those of humans. Functional significance of the vestibular sensor is highlighted by comparing vestibular-able with vestibular-loss states in robot and humans. We show that a kinematic body-space sensory feedback (vestibular) is advantageous over a kinetic one (force cues) for dynamic body-space balancing. Our embodiment of human sensorimotor control principles into a robot is more than just bionics. It inspired our biological work (neurorobotics: ‘learning by building’, proof of principle, and more). We envisage a future clinical use in the form of hardware-in-the-loop simulations of neurological symptoms for improving diagnosis and therapy and designing medical assistive devices.

Role of vision and task complexity on soleus H-reflex gain

There exists extensive evidence supporting the presence of reflex modulation in humans during a variety of motor tasks. The soleus H-reflex has been shown to be modulated during static and dynamic balance conditions as well as during various motor tasks. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of two different stance positions and visual conditions on soleus H-reflex gain in 15 apparently healthy adults (mean age = 30.27 ± 6.92 yrs). The soleus H-reflexes were examined in two experimental stance conditions: two-legged (stable) and one-leg (unstable), and two visual conditions: eyes open and eyes closed. To assess the reflex gain, subjects performed ten trials under each of the four conditions and a soleus H-reflex was elicited during the performance of each trial. For each condition the peak-to-peak amplitude of the H-reflex and the EMG activity 50 ms prior to the stimulus was recorded. Differences in the peak-to-peak amplitudes of the soleus H-reflex for the experimental conditions were compared with a 2 × 2 (Stance × Vision) repeated measures ANOVA. The level of significance was p < 0.05. Results demonstrated significant differences in reflex gain for both the vision ( F l,15 = 4.87, p < 0.05) and the stance condition ( F l,15 = 14.86, p < 0.05). Although both the stance condition and vision significantly affected the H-reflex gain, there was no interaction between these two variables ( F l,15 = 0.17). From these results, we conclude that H-reflex gain was decreased both as stance complexity increased and as visual inputs were removed. Consistent with previous reports, it may be speculated that changes in presynaptic inhibition to the soleus Ia fibers regulate these gain changes. We propose that vision and stability of stance affect soleus H-reflex gain, but do so without any interactive effects.

Human stability in the erect stance: Alcohol effects and audio-visual perturbations

Aim In this article, we discuss the connection between alcohol and the control strategies carried out by the central nervous system to maintain the erect stance. Audio-visual perturbations were coupled with the consumption of an alcoholic beverage to simulate the possible perturbation affecting people at disco clubs, and the effects measured with a stabilometric platform. Methods We studied the statokinesigrams (SKG) of 14 volunteers; 11 of them were healthy, 3 were injured. We made a series of numerical tests using a stabilometric platform to record the statokinesigrams. The tests were carried out using statistical methods, time-series analysis, and applying the “ p” parameter, recently proposed by Pascolo and Marini [2006. On the introduction of a new parameter for the analysis of posture. Europa Medicophysica, 42, 145–149] as a new tool to evaluate the reactions of the central control system with respect to posture-affecting diseases (for instance Parkinson) and perturbations. Conclusion This work shows that it is theoretically possible to define non-invasive parameters able to distinguish sober subjects from drunk subjects, with an evaluation that only uses a stabilometric platform.

Impairments of postural control in patient's with Huntington's disease while sitting – a new motor phenotype biomarker?

Background: Patients with Huntington's Disease (HD) develop a progressive impairment of stability of stance and walking (Rumpf et al. 2007 [abstract]), frequently resulting in falls and injuries. Objective assessment of postural control in HD may be helpful to assess the risk of injury and may serve as a surrogate for motor phenotype dysfunction.

A General Stance Stability Test Based on Stratified Morse Theory With Application to Quasi-Static Locomotion Planning

This paper considers the stability of an object supported by several frictionless contacts in a potential field such as gravity. The bodies supporting the object induce a partition of the object's configuration space into strata corresponding to different contact arrangements. Stance stability becomes a geometric problem of determining whether the object's configuration is a local minimum of its potential energy function on the stratified configuration space. We use stratified Morse theory to develop a generic stance stability test that has the following characteristics. For a small number of contacts - less than three in 2D and less than six in 3D - stance stability depends both on surface normals and surface curvature at the contacts. Moreover, lower curvature at the contacts leads to better stability. For a larger number of contacts, stance stability depends only on surface normals at the contacts. The stance stability test is applied to quasi-static locomotion planning in two dimensions. The region of stable center-of-mass positions associated with a <i xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">k</i> -contact stance is characterized. Then, a quasi-static locomotion scheme for a three-legged robot over a piecewise linear terrain is described. Finally, friction is shown to provide robustness and enhanced stability for the frictionless locomotion plan. A full maneuver simulation illustrates the locomotion scheme.

Inferred influence of human lateral profile on limb load asymmetry during a quiet standing balance test.

Although the identification and characterisation of a participant's lateral profile during quiet standing have not received much research attention, they have the potential to greatly extend our understanding of upright stance stability control. This study further examines limb load asymmetries during quiet bipedal stance. During voluntary frontal-plane weight shifting for 2 min, 300 centre-of-pressure displacements on 14 blindfolded right-handed young adults were recorded. Four biomechanical indices were used to assess postural behaviour. These were the bias of time and the magnitude of the partial ground reaction forces from both legs, and the bias in the number and magnitude of microshifts influencing stability. Our study identifies a significant level of asymmetry in the quiet bipedal stance of right-handed people. This asymmetry is associated with the right-sided bias of the ground reaction force and the angle of inclination to the upright (vertical) centroidal line. We found that the initial lateralisation of the partial ground reaction forces from both feet, as well as the period of ground reaction force bias, are important elements in any clinical tests involving quiet bipedal stance.

Influence of enhanced visual feedback on postural control and spinal reflex modulation during stance

The present study assessed the influence of visual feedback on stance stability and soleus H-reflex excitability. The centre of pressure (COP) displacement was measured in upright stance on a rigid surface (stable surface) and on a spinning top (unstable surface) while subjects either received "normal" visual feedback (without laser pointer = WLP) or pointed with a laser pointer on a target on the wall (LP). In order to verify that laser pointing influenced visual feedback, two additional experiments were conducted: (1) Subjects performed a finger reaction task which was thought to increase attention and cognitive demands without alteration of the visual feedback. (2) The effect of laser pointing on the wall was compared with pointing at a board, which was attached to the subjects themselves. In this case, the laser point could not serve as a reference for sway because the board moved in synchrony with the body. On stable and unstable surface, COP displacement was reduced in the LP compared to the WLP task (-17 cm +/- 6, P < 0.05; -14 cm +/- 6, P < 0.05). Conversely, H-reflexes were greater in the LP condition (stable: +20 microV +/- 30, not significant; unstable +115 microV +/- 40, P < 0.05). Stance stability and H-reflex modulation were negatively correlated (R(2) = -0.5; P < 0.001). The finger reaction task did neither influence COP displacement nor H-reflexes. Pointing at the body-fixed target did not alter COP displacement. These findings suggest that postural sway can be reduced by a handheld laser pointer targeting on an external reference point. It is argued that altered visual input was responsible for modulating the H-reflex.

Postural sway reduction in aging men and women: Relation to brain structure, cognitive status, and stabilizing factors

Postural stability becomes compromised with advancing age, but the neural mechanisms contributing to instability have not been fully explicated. Accordingly, this quantitative physiological and MRI study of sex differences across the adult age range examined the association between components of postural control and the integrity of brain structure and function under different conditions of sensory input and stance stabilization manipulation. The groups comprised 28 healthy men (age 30–73 years) and 38 healthy women (age 34–74 years), who completed balance platform testing, cognitive assessment, and structural MRI. The results supported the hypothesis that excessive postural sway would be greater in older than younger healthy individuals when standing without sensory or stance aids, and that introduction of such aids would reduce sway in both principal directions (anterior–posterior and medial–lateral) and in both the open-loop and closed-loop components of postural control even in older individuals. Sway reduction with stance stabilization, that is, standing with feet apart, was greater in men than women, probably because older men were less stable than women when standing with their feet together. Greater sway was related to evidence for greater brain structural involutional changes, indexed as ventricular and sulcal enlargement and white matter hyperintensity burden. In women, poorer cognitive test performance related to less sway reduction with the use of sensory aids. Thus, aging men and women were shown to have diminished postural control, associated with cognitive and brain structural involution, in unstable stance conditions and with diminished sensory input.

Stability of the human upright stance depending on the frequency of external disturbances

During an upright stance of humans, it is usually assumed that a stiffer ankle joint contributes to stabilize the stance. To show that under certain conditions a stiffer ankle joint can reduce the stability, the frequency responses of the moment and the angle of the ankle joint against external disturbances caused by random horizontal translations of the support surface were evaluated in ten healthy adult subjects by varying the difficulty of the task at four levels. When it was difficult to keep the upright stance, the subject tended to make the ankle joint stiffer. The transfer function relating the external disturbance moment to the ankle joint moment showed a larger gain in the high frequency range (>0.3 Hz) compared with the gains obtained under easier conditions. A simulation analysis based on a simple inverted pendulum model also reproduced this tendency. These results indicate that the stiffer ankle joint and the resulting higher ankle moment for high frequency external disturbances enhance the possibility that the center of pressure exceeds the limit arising from the size of the feet and can make the upright stance unstable.

Modulation of soleus H reflex due to stance pattern and haptic stabilization of posture

The quiet stance is a complicated motor act requiring sophisticated sensorimotor integration to balance an artificial inverted pendulum with the ankle musculature. The objective of this study was to characterize the effects of stance pattern (bilateral stance vs. unilateral stance) and directional influence of light finger touch (medial–lateral vs. anterior–posterior) in unilateral stance upon responsiveness of the soleus H reflex. Sixteen healthy volunteers (mean age, 24.25 ± 1.77 years) participated in four postural tasks with the eyes open, including the bilateral stance (BS), the unilateral stance without finger touch (USNT), and with finger touch in the medial–lateral direction (USML) and anterior–posterior direction (USAP). Meanwhile, the soleus H reflex, the pre-stimulus background activity of ankle antagonist pairs, and center of pressure (CoP) sway were measured. In reference to the BS, the USNT resulted in a significant stance effect on suppression of the soleus H reflex ( H/ M max) associated with enhancement of CoP sway. Among the conditions of unilateral stance, there was a marked directional effect of finger touch on modulation of the H/ M max. A greater disinhibition of the H/ M max in consequence to light touch in the ML direction than in the AP direction was noted ( H/ M max: USML > USAP > USNT). This directional modulation of the soleus H reflex concurred with haptic stabilization of posture in unilateral stance, showing a more pronounced reduction in CoP sway in the USML condition than in the USAP condition. However, alteration in postural sway and modulation of the soleus H reflex were not mutually correlated when stance pattern or touch vector varied. In conclusion, gating of the soleus H reflex indicated adaptation of an ankle strategy to stance pattern and haptic stabilization of posture. Relative to bilateral stance, postural maintenance in unilateral stance relied less on reflexive correction of the soleus. When finger touch was provided in line with prevailing postural threat in the lateral direction, postural stability in unilateral stance was better secured than finger touch in anterior–posterior direction, resulting in more pronounced disinhibition of the monosynaptic reflex pathway.

Task-specific changes in motor evoked potentials of lower limb muscles after different training interventions

This study aimed to identify sites and mechanisms of long-term plasticity following lower limb muscle training. Two groups performing either a postural stability maintenance training (SMT) or a ballistic ankle strength training (BST) were compared to a non-training group. The hypothesis was that practicing of a self-initiated voluntary movement would facilitate cortico-spinal projections, while practicing fast automatic adjustments during stabilization of stance would reduce excitatory influence from the primary motor cortex. Training effects were expected to be confined to the practiced task. To test for training specificity, motor evoked potentials (MEP) induced by transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) were recorded at rest and during motor tasks that were similar to each training. Intracortical, cortico-spinal, as well as spinal parameters were assessed at rest and during these tasks. The results show high task and training specificity. Training effects were only observable during performance of the trained task. While MEP size was decreased in the SMT group for the trained tasks, MEP recruitment was increased in the BST group in the trained task only. The control group did not show any changes. Background electromyogram levels, M. soleus H-reflex amplitudes and intracortical parameters were unaltered. In summary, it is suggested that the changes of MEP parameters in both training groups, but not in the control group, reflect cortical motor plasticity. While cortico-spinal activation was enhanced in the BST group, SMT may be associated with improved motor control through increased inhibitory trans-cortical effects. Since spinal excitability remained unaltered, changes most likely occur on the supraspinal level.

How geometry parameters may use to predict vertebral fractures

Credible inferences regarding the burden of vertebral fractures (VFs) cannot be made without a globally accepted quantitative definition of ‘fracture’. Currently, differences in anterior, middle, or posterior vertebral heights (VHs) within a vertebra, or between adjacent vertebrae, are used to define ‘fracture’. However, VH differences are essential for the construction of thoracolumbar curves, evolutionary adaptations that provide stability in bipedal stance and gait. As there is no reference standard to distinguish anatomical variation from fracture, approaches to defining a VF use a reference range of VH ratios derived in premenopausal women or derived by trimming, a method that iteratively removes the tails of a distribution of VH ratios to produce a normal distribution. From this, reference ranges of VH ratio means and standard deviations (SDs) are obtained and a nominal deviation of 15% or more, or 3 SD or more is regarded as a ‘fracture’.We measured VHs by quantitative vertebral morphometry (QVM) and bone mineral density (BMD) by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry in 697 Lebanese women (age 20–89 years) to compare the prevalence of VF ascertained by published methods and a new method that uses the premenopausal range (without trimming) and requires two VH abnormalities. VF prevalence using published methods reached 60% to 70% in pre- and post-menopausal women, and in women with normal or high BMD because VH ratios were not normally distributed and cut-offs used to define VF fracture fell within the observed distribution of the data. The new method resulted in a VF prevalence of 3.3% in younger and 14% in older women, 7% (high), 10% (middle), and 20% (low) BMD tertiles consistent with the notion that the method detected VF due to bone fragility. We suggest that using a fixed trimming method to define reference range and cut-offs or applying fixed cut-offs to identify VFs in populations, where these ratios are not normally distributed, may result in the capture of anatomical variation, not structural failure. Thus, group differences in the VF prevalence may reflect differences in methodology, not bone fragility. Improved criteria to define VF are needed before credible inferences can be made regarding the burden of VFs in women and men, and between sexes, races, countries, decades, and placebo arms of clinical trials.

Cortical and spinal adaptations induced by balance training: correlation between stance stability and corticospinal activation

To determine the sites of adaptation responsible for improved stance stability after balance (=sensorimotor) training, changes in corticospinal and spinal excitability were investigated in 23 healthy subjects. Neural adaptations were assessed by means of H-reflex stimulation, transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and conditioning of the H-reflex by TMS (Hcond) before and after 4 weeks of balance training. All measurements were performed during stance perturbation on a treadmill. Fast posterior translations induced short- (SLR), medium- and long-latency responses (LLR) in the soleus muscle. Motor-evoked potential- (MEP) and Hcond-amplitudes as well as Hmax/Mmax ratios were determined at SLR and LLR. Postural stability was measured during perturbation on the treadmill. Balance training improved postural stability. Hmax/Mmax ratios were significantly decreased at LLR. MEPs and Hcond revealed significantly reduced facilitation at LLR following training. A negative correlation between adaptations of Hcond and changes in stance stability was observed (r = -0.87; P < 0.01) while no correlation was found between stance stability and changes in Hmax/Mmax ratio. No changes in any parameter occurred at the spinally organized SLR and in the control group. The decrease in MEP- and Hcond-facilitation implies reduced corticospinal and cortical excitability at the transcortically mediated LLR. Changes in cortical excitability were directly related to improvements in stance stability as shown by correlation of these parameters. The absence of such a correlation between Hmax/Mmax ratios and stance stability suggests that mainly supraspinal adaptations contributed to improved balance performance following training.

Cortical and spinal adaptations induced by balance training: correlation between stance stability and corticospinal activation

Balance training improved postural stability. A negative correlation between adaptations of Hcond and changes in stance stability was observed (r = -0.87; P < 0.01) while no correlation was found between stance stability and changes in Hmax/Mmax. © 2007 The Authors Journal compilation © 2007 Scandinavian Physiological Society

Cortical and spinal adaptations induced by balance training: correlation between stance stability and corticospinal activation

Cortical and spinal adaptations induced by balance training: correlation between stance stability and corticospinal activation

LIMITS OF STABILITY OF INIVIDUALS WITH PARKINSON'S DISEASE

INTRODUCTION: Postural instability has been considered one of the main features of with Parkinson?s disease (PD). Balance failure, apparent in postural instability of Parkinsonians, is believed to be correlated with impairments to control voluntary movements of center of mass (CM) over the base of support. Quantification of limits of stability may provide an important component of balance, since its reduction can affect the ability to perform daily tasks. OBJECTIVE: To determine if limits of stability in normal upright stance varied in individuals with PD. METHODS: A group of 12 individuals with idiopathic PD, aged 69.7 + 7.0 years and 12 control subjects aged 69.42 + 7.74 years, matched by body mass index and gender were included in the study. Percentage of body weight supported by each leg in upright stance was determined using the weight bearing test. Movement velocity (MV), maximal excursion (ME) and directional control (DC) of CM in forward, backward, right, and left directions were quantified by the limits of stability test of Balance Master System?. Since most variables related to MV, ME and DC did not have normal distributions, Mann-Whitney-U tests were used to investigate differences between PD and control group, at a significance level of α<0.05. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: No significant differences between groups were found for percentages of body weight supported by the lower limbs. However, PD subjects demonstrated significant decreases in movement velocity in all directions. These findings were expected since bradykinesia, a typical feature of subjects with PD, prevents them from rapidly developing the muscular activation necessary to generate ground forces. Reductions in MV decrease the reaction forces and minimize the need for postural stability, which can be advantageous for subjects with PD. ME and DC were also significantly different in backward, right and left directions. Decreases in ME observed in PD subjects might be related to the presence of rigidity associated with reduced postural reactions, as well as changes in motor control, such as muscular co-activation between agonists and antagonists. It is possible that increases in the oscillations observed for the PD group occurred due to greater activity of reciprocal inhibition mechanisms, as previously observed in postural muscles of individuals with PD. CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest that in a normal upright stance, limits of stability of subjects with PD were decreased in the backward, right and left directions.

Cervical muscle afferents play a dominant role over vestibular afferents during bilateral vibration of neck muscles

A previous study showed that vibratory stimulation of neck muscles in humans induced short-latency electromyographic (EMG) activation of lower leg muscles, producing postural reactions at the feet. These findings indicated that cervical proprioception contributes to stabilization of stance through rapidly integrated pathways. However, as vibration may excite both proprioceptive and vestibular afferents, and because of the proximity of neck muscles to the vestibular apparatus, neck muscle vibration could also have activated the vestibular system thereby contributing to the effect observed. To investigate any possible contribution of vestibular stimulation, vibratory stimuli were applied bilaterally and separately to the splenius muscles of the neck and the planum mastoideum overlying the vestibular organs. Ten normal subjects, with eyes closed, were exposed to vibratory stimulation of two different amplitudes and frequencies. Responses were assessed by EMG activity recorded from tibialis anterior and gastrocnemius muscles of both legs and by changes in center of pressure as measured by a force platform. Results indicated that vibration induced reproducible EMG and postural responses in the anteroposterior direction, particularly on cessation of vibration. EMG and postural responses were considerably lower and less consistent with mastoid vibration compared with neck muscles vibration. Previous reports suggest that vibratory stimulation could propagate to the vestibular organs and generate a vestibular-induced postural activation. However, our findings indicate that cervical muscles afferents play a dominant role over vestibular afferents when vibration is directed towards the neck muscles.