NROC64H3 Lecture Notes - Lecture 9: Posturography, Cerebral Cortex, Proprioception
Document Summary
Posture: describes the orientation of any body segment relative to the gravitational vector: provides the mechanical support for performing movements, not just balance, but also arm movement etc. Balance: generic term describing the dynamics of body posture that prevents falling in quiet stance or during locomotion. Automatic postural reactions: occur in response to sensory information, which signal postural disturbances caused by movement received from the visual, vestibular and somatosensory systems: automatic is when you trip and recover. Without adequate postural control, locomotion becomes uncoordinated, inefficient and unstable. Coordination foundation of posture: walking properly and coordinating steps. Inconsistency = less steady on feet and pattern deficits. Multisensory signals provide cognitive and emotional references to the cerebral cortex and limbic system: subject may elicit either voluntary movements or emotional motor behavior depending on the context. Automatic process of postural control: maintained by the brainstem and spinal cord to regulate postural muscle tone and basic postural reflexes.
