SEARCH · PubMed Health

Results for “Trunk”

Explore indexed PubMed citations for clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health research. Read source abstracts and follow each citation to its original PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 343 records · Page 19Linked to original sources

PubMed2003

Functional subdivision of trunk visceral mesoderm parasegments in Drosophila is required for gut and trachea development.

In Drosophila, trunk visceral mesoderm, a derivative of dorsal mesoderm, gives rise to circular visceral muscles. It has been demonstrated that the trunk visceral mesoderm parasegment is subdivided into at least two domains by connectin expression, which is regulated by Hedgehog and Wingless emanating from the ectoderm. We now extend these findings by examining a greater number of visceral mesodermal genes, including hedgehog and branchless. Each visceral mesodermal parasegment appears to be divided into five or six regions, based on differences in expression patterns of these genes. Ectodermal Hedgehog and Wingless differentially regulate the expression of these metameric targets in trunk visceral mesoderm. hedgehog expression in trunk visceral mesoderm is responsible for maintaining its own expression and con expression. hedgehog expressed in visceral mesoderm parasegment 3 may also be required for normal decapentaplegic expression in this region and normal gastric caecum development. branchless expressed in each trunk visceral mesodermal parasegment serves as a guide for the initial budding of tracheal visceral branches. The metameric pattern of trunk visceral mesoderm, organized in response to ectodermal instructive signals, is thus maintained at a later time via autoregulation, is required for midgut morphogenesis and exerts feedback effect on trachea, ectodermal derivatives.

Animals↗

PubMed2004

Hedgehog regulation of superficial slow muscle fibres in Xenopus and the evolution of tetrapod trunk myogenesis.

In tetrapod phylogeny, the dramatic modifications of the trunk have received less attention than the more obvious evolution of limbs. In somites, several waves of muscle precursors are induced by signals from nearby tissues. In both amniotes and fish, the earliest myogenesis requires secreted signals from the ventral midline carried by Hedgehog (Hh) proteins. To determine if this similarity represents evolutionary homology, we have examined myogenesis in Xenopus laevis, the major species from which insight into vertebrate mesoderm patterning has been derived. Xenopus embryos form two distinct kinds of muscle cells analogous to the superficial slow and medial fast muscle fibres of zebrafish. As in zebrafish, Hh signalling is required for XMyf5 expression and generation of a first wave of early superficial slow muscle fibres in tail somites. Thus, Hh-dependent adaxial myogenesis is the likely ancestral condition of teleosts, amphibia and amniotes. Our evidence suggests that midline-derived cells migrate to the lateral somite surface and generate superficial slow muscle. This cell re-orientation contributes to the apparent rotation of Xenopus somites. Xenopus myogenesis in the trunk differs from that in the tail. In the trunk, the first wave of superficial slow fibres is missing, suggesting that significant adaptation of the ancestral myogenic programme occurred during tetrapod trunk evolution. Although notochord is required for early medial XMyf5 expression, Hh signalling fails to drive these cells to slow myogenesis. Later, both trunk and tail somites develop a second wave of Hh-independent slow fibres. These fibres probably derive from an outer cell layer expressing the myogenic determination genes XMyf5, XMyoD and Pax3 in a pattern reminiscent of amniote dermomyotome. Thus, Xenopus somites have characteristics in common with both fish and amniotes that shed light on the evolution of somite differentiation. We propose a model for the evolutionary adaptation of myogenesis in the transition from fish to tetrapod trunk.

Animals↗

PubMed2005

Slow muscle regulates the pattern of trunk neural crest migration in zebrafish.

In avians and mice, trunk neural crest migration is restricted to the anterior half of each somite. Sclerotome has been shown to play an essential role in this restriction; the potential role of other somite components in specifying neural crest migration is currently unclear. By contrast, in zebrafish trunk neural crest, migration on the medial pathway is restricted to the middle of the medial surface of each somite. Sclerotome comprises only a minor part of zebrafish somites, and the pattern of neural crest migration is established before crest cells contact sclerotome cells, suggesting other somite components regulate the pattern of zebrafish neural crest migration. Here, we use mutants to investigate which components regulate the pattern of zebrafish trunk neural crest migration on the medial pathway. The pattern of trunk neural crest migration is aberrant in spadetail mutants that have very reduced somitic mesoderm, in no tail mutants injected with spadetail morpholino antisense oligonucleotides that entirely lack somitic mesoderm and in somite segmentation mutants that have normal somite components but disrupted segment borders. Fast muscle cells appear dispensable for patterning trunk neural crest migration. However, migration is abnormal in Hedgehog signaling mutants that lack slow muscle cells, providing evidence that slow muscle cells regulate the pattern of trunk neural crest migration. Consistent with this idea, surgical removal of adaxial cells, which are slow muscle precursors, results in abnormal patterning of neural crest migration; normal patterning can be restored by replacing the ablated adaxial cells with ones transplanted from wild-type embryos.

Animals↗

PubMed1992

The role of the teashirt gene in trunk segmental identity in Drosophila.

The phenotypes of different mutant combinations of teashirt (tsh) and homeotic genes together with their regulatory interactions are described in order to gain insight into tsh gene function. We show that when tsh, Scr, Antp and BX-C genes are missing, the ventral part of the trunk (or thorax and abdomen) is transformed to anterior head identity showing that tsh is a homeotic gene. These genes act synergistically to suppress the expression of the procephalic gene labial (lab) in subsets of cells in each segment of the trunk. Transcripts from the tsh gene always accumulate in segments destined to acquire trunk identities. tsh gene activity is required for the normal function of the Antp and BX-C genes, which modulate in part the expression of tsh. As a whole, our results suggest that tsh plays an essential dual role, during embryogenesis, for determining segmental identity of the trunk. First, tsh is required critically for the identity of the anterior prothorax. Second, tsh is required globally for segmental identity throughout the entire trunk whereas the "classical" homeotic genes have more specific roles. Our results are consistent with the idea that tsh is defining the ground state of the Drosophila trunk region seen in the absence of the Antp and BX-C genes.

Animals↗

PubMed2004

Trunk muscle strength and disability level of low back pain in collegiate wrestlers.

INTRODUCTION/PURPOSE: Low back pain (LBP) is a frequent injury in athletes. This study examined the relationship between isokinetic trunk muscle strength and the functional disability level of chronic LBP. We particularly focused on the existence of radiological abnormalities (RA) in the lumbar region. METHODS: Subjects were 53 collegiate wrestlers. Trunk extensor and flexor muscle strength was measured at three angular velocities (60, 90, and 120degrees x s(-1)). The examined parameters for trunk muscle strength were peak torque, work, average torque, and average power. The disability level of LBP was estimated by using two questionnaires. Based on the RA evaluation with x-ray and MRI, all 53 wrestlers were assigned to two groups as the RA group (N = 35, 66%) and the non-RA group (N = 18, 34%). Correlations between trunk muscle strength and the disability level of LBP in each group were analyzed with Spearman's rank test. RESULTS: Without considering the disability level, there were 14 subjects with LBP (40%) in the RA group and 8 (44%) in the non-RA. Significantly correlated parameters with the disability level of LBP could be observed only when the subjects were restricted to the non-RA group. The correlated parameters with the two questionnaires were peak torque at 120degrees x s(-1), work at 60degrees x s(-1) and 90degrees x s(-1), and average torque at 90degrees x s(-1) and 120degrees x s(-1). There were no significantly correlated parameters in the RA group. None of the trunk flexor parameters were significantly correlated with the disability level of LBP. CONCLUSION: The relatively low strength of trunk extensors may be one of the factors related to nonspecific chronic low back pain in collegiate wrestlers.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2005

From egocentric to exocentric spatial orientation: development of posture control in bimanual and trunk inclination tasks.

The authors investigated the emergence of independent control of body segments in bimanual tasks involving either voluntary or involuntary trunk motion by tracking the transition from an ego- to an exocentric mode of postural control during childhood (i.e., from body-referenced orientation to externally referenced action). A paradigm combining a seated manual task and various trunk manipulations described the coordination strategies used by 24 children at different ages (2 to 9 years) and by adults. The following questions were asked: (a) When do children begin to dissociate upper limb movements from those of the trunk? (b) What segmental strategies are exhibited by each age group (2-3, 4-6, and 7-9 years, and adults)? Kinematic analyses revealed that younger children (2-6 years) used either the trunk or the support surface as reference to orient the limbs. Older children (7-9 years) began to use a gravitational reference frame similar to that of adults; they uncoupled upper limb motion from the trunk in either voluntary or imposed conditions. Young children patterned the forearm trajectory after the initiating segment (support surface or the trunk), thus reducing the degrees of freedom during the dual task. Echoing previous reports, 7-9 years of age appears to be a critical period in which children master postural control and develop an internal representation of body scheme.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

Accurate characterization of the main trunk of the anterior cerebral artery by means of intraoperative sononavigation with Doppler sonography: implications for brain tumor surgery.

OBJECTIVE: Doppler sonography can be used for real-time intraoperative localization of arteries within or near brain tumors but is less useful for distinguishing between arteries with similar diameters, such as the main trunk and branches of the anterior cerebral artery (ACA). By contrast, sononavigation provides real-time information in alignment with magnetic resonance imaging scans and may be of use in characterizing the identity of individual arteries on Doppler sonographic images. The goal of this study was to determine whether sononavigation can distinguish the main trunk of the ACA from the branches of the ACA on Doppler sonographic images. METHODS: Doppler sonography was used in 3 patients undergoing surgical resection of brain tumors involving the main trunk of the ACA. The location of the main trunk of the ACA was characterized by sononavigation. RESULTS: With these data, tumor resection was performed with preservation of the main trunk of the ACA. Gross total resection was achieved in 1 case. CONCLUSIONS: Intraoperative sononavigation with Doppler sonography accurately localized the main trunk of the ACA and enabled preservation of this structure during tumor resection. This method may be applicable to the characterization of other critical arteries and may allow tumor resection with decreased morbidity.

Aged↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Hereditary vestigial pulmonary arterial trunk and related defects in rabbits.

In a population of IIIVO/J rabbits at the Jackson Laboratory a vestigial pulmonary arterial trunk is the commonest expression of a malformation involving the heart and great vessels. There appears to be a series of effects from a completely absent pulmonary trunk through a vestigial but patent pulmonary trunk and/or pulmonary valve stenosis on the one hand to a vestigial or absent ascending aorta on the other. In a few cases the pulmonary trunk is bulbous and the ductus arteriosus is vestigial or absent. In almost all cases of this syndrome, there is also a high ventricular septal defect. The animals appear perfectly normal in every other respect. In its extreme forms this mutation is lethal, but those few animals that are somewhat less severely affected may live for a short time. No effect was seen on birth weight or litter size. Inheritance of vestigial pulmonary arterial trunk appears to be due to two autosomal recessive factors both of which must be homozygous for the expression of the condition. We propose the symbols vpt-1 and vpt-2 for the genes responsible for vestigial pulmonary arterial trunk and its related abnormalities.

Animals↗

PubMed2003

Trunk muscle recruitment patterns in patients with low back pain enhance the stability of the lumbar spine.

STUDY DESIGN: A comparative study of trunk muscle recruitment patterns in healthy control subjects and patients with chronic low back pain was conducted. OBJECTIVE: To assess trunk muscle recruitment in patients with low back pain. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Conflicting evidence has been reported on the level and pattern of trunk muscle recruitment in patients with low back pain. The disparities can be explained partly by methodologic differences. It was hypothesized that trunk muscle recruitment patterns may be altered in patients with low back pain to compensate for reduced spinal stability. METHODS: For this study, 16 patients with low back pain and 16 matched control subjects performed slow trunk motions about the neutral posture and isometric ramp contractions while seated upright. Ratios of electromyographic amplitudes and estimated moment contributions of antagonist over agonist muscles and of segmentally inserting muscles over muscles inserting on the thorax and pelvis only were calculated. In addition, model simulations were performed to assess the effect of changes in muscle recruitment on spinal stability. RESULTS: The ratios of antagonist over agonist, and of lumbar over thoracic erector spinae electromyographic amplitude and estimated moment contributions were greater in the patients than in the control subjects. The simulation model predicted that these changes would effectively increase spinal stability. CONCLUSIONS: Trunk muscle recruitment patterns in patients with low back pain are different from those in healthy control subjects. The differences are likely to be functional with respect to enhancement of spinal stability in the patients.

Adult↗

PubMed2001

Neuromuscular Evaluation of Trunk-Training Exercises.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the neuromuscular activation profiles of trunk muscles in commonly used gymnastic strength exercises with a polymyographic set-up and to describe the training effects of each exercise. DESIGN AND SETTING: Subjects performed 9 repetitions of each of 12 gymnastic exercises. Variations of 5 trunk flexions, 5 extensions, and 2 lateral-flexion movements were performed under standardized test conditions. SUBJECTS: Ten healthy subjects (men and women) who were familiar with the exercises participated in the study. MEASUREMENTS: We recorded surface electromyograms (EMGs) from the rectus abdominis, external oblique, rectus femoris, middle trapezius, erector spinae at T12 and L3, gluteus maximus, and semitendinosus and semimembranosus muscles. Recording of each repetition cycle was triggered by a flexible electronic goniometer attached to the trunk. The raw EMG signals were rectified, smoothed, amplitude normalized to maximal voluntary contraction (MVC), and averaged for the last 8 repetitions. RESULTS: Pure spine-flexion exercises, such as a curl-up, produced sufficient and isolated activation (greater than 50% MVC) of the abdominal muscles. When flexion of the spine was combined with hip flexion (sit-up), the peak activation was increased. Lateral-flexion tasks targeted primarily the external oblique muscle, which demonstrated high activity in side-lying flexion tasks. Back- and hip-extension exercises, such as bridging and diagonal hip and shoulder extension, produced only moderate mean activities (less than 35% MVC) in the trunk-extensor muscles. Trunk-extension exercises with combined hip extension increased the EMG activity to 50% MVC but only at the end of the extension. CONCLUSIONS: Individual responses to each exercise varied markedly, which complicated the classification of exercise effects. However, within the limitations of the study, we found that the chosen abdominal exercises provided an effective training stimulus for the trunk-flexor muscles, whereas in the back- and hip-extension exercises, the neuromuscular activation tended to be too low or unspecific to qualify as muscle-specific training.

Journal Article↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Identifying head-trunk and lower limb contributions to gaze stabilization during locomotion.

The goal of the present study was to determine how the multiple, interdependent full-body sensorimotor subsystems respond to a change in gaze stabilization task constraints during locomotion. Nine subjects performed two gaze stabilization tasks while walking at 6.4 km/hr on a motorized treadmill: 1) focusing on a central point target; 2) reading numeral characters; both presented at 2 m in front at the level of their eyes. While subjects performed the tasks we measured: temporal parameters of gait, full body sagittal plane segmental kinematics of the head, trunk, thigh, tibia and foot, accelerations along the vertical axis at the head and the tibia, and the vertical forces acting on the support surface. We tested the hypothesis that with the increased demands placed on visual acuity during the number recognition task, subjects would modify full-body segmental kinematics in order to reduce perturbations to the head in order to successfully perform the task. We found that while reading numeral characters as compared to the central point target: 1) compensatory head pitch movement was on average 22% greater despite the fact that the trunk pitch and trunk vertical translation movement control were not significantly changed; 2) coordination patterns between head and trunk as reflected by the peak cross correlation between the head pitch and trunk pitch motion as well as the peak cross correlation between the head pitch and vertical trunk translation motion were not significantly changed; 3) knee joint total movement was on average 11% greater during the period from the heel strike event to the peak knee flexion event in stance phase of the gait cycle; 4) peak acceleration measured at the head was significantly reduced by an average of 13% in four of the six subjects. This was so even when the peak acceleration at the tibia and the transmission of the shock wave at heel strike (measured by the peak acceleration ratio of the head/tibia and the time lag between the tibial and head peak accelerations) remained unchanged. Taken together these results provide further evidence that the full body contributes to gaze stabilization during locomotion, and that its different functional elements can be modified online to contribute to gaze stabilization for different visual task constraints.

Acceleration↗

PubMed1992

Left main coronary trunk compression by dilated main pulmonary artery in atrial septal defect. Report of three cases.

Narrowing of the left main coronary trunk, which was compressed by the dilated pulmonary artery, was associated with atrial septal defect in three adults. One of them had severe pulmonary hypertension. Coronary angiograms revealed localized narrowing of the left main coronary trunk, and the left main coronary trunk had a concave shape. No stenosis of other coronary arteries was observed. In all patients the atrial septal defect was closed with a polytetrafluoroethylene patch. In the patient with 75% narrowing of the left main coronary trunk, aorta-coronary bypass was performed; it was not performed in the two with 50% narrowing. In two survivors postoperative coronary angiograms showed that the narrowing of the left main coronary trunk improved or disappeared. These results suggest that markedly dilated pulmonary arteries easily compress the left main coronary trunk and cause narrowing, which improves after atrial septal defect closure.

Constriction, Pathologic↗

PubMed1993

Concentric isokinetic trunk extension/flexion testing of rigid and semirigid lumbar/sacral supports.

Using a Cybex(R) trunk extension/flexion device, we measured the effects of rigid and semirigid lumbar/sacral supports on peak muscular torque, total work, and average power. Ten well-conditioned men, aged 21 to 35, performed three testing sessions each at 7-day intervals (one session with a rigid support, one session with a semirigid support, and one with no support). We selected four isokinetic testing speeds (30 degrees /s, 60 degrees /s, 90 degrees /s, and 120 degrees /s), complying with a standard Cybex trunk extension/flexion protocol. Differences between lumbar/sacral supports were analyzed using an analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Scheffé post hoc tests. Peak torque, total work, and average power were significantly different (p<.05) during trunk flexion at various isokinetic velocities. Trunk extension movements did not appear to be affected by the use of supports, but trunk flexion was significantly greater with the semirigid device and with no device than with the rigid support. We concluded that a rigid lumbar/sacral support decreases strength during movement tasks involving trunk flexion with resistance.

Journal Article↗

PubMed1985

Trunk strength, back muscle endurance and low-back trouble.

The strength and endurance of the trunk muscles was studied in relation to the extent of earlier low-back trouble (LBT) in a homogeneous, and occupationally active group. Twenty-four female and 53 male postmen with an occupational seniority of more than 2 years took part in the investigation. The cumulative lifetime prevalence, the one-year and the point prevalence of LBT were 67%, 62%, and 4% in females and 55%, 52%, and 0% in males. The rates are higher than in a representative Danish population 40 years old. Anthropometrical measurements and isometric strength (MVC) in trunk flexors and extensors were recorded. The flexibility of the spine, hip and knee joints, the fingertip-floor distance, and the restricted extension of the knee were evaluated. The isometric endurance in the trunk extensors was measured by two methods: 1) prone with the unsupported trunk in a horizontal position and the legs and hips fixated to a couch; and 2) standing, at 60% MVC. The participants were divided into three groups according to the extent of previous LBT, Group I: LBT to a degree that made work impossible, Group II: LBT experienced but not to such a degree that work was hindered, and Group III: LBT never experienced. The main findings were that the isometric endurance time of the trunk extensors was shorter in group I than in II and III, while the trunk muscle strength, anthropometrical measures and joint flexibility were independent of the persons' earlier low-back episodes. Differences in the distribution of ST and FT muscle fibres are suggested as an explanation of the endurance difference.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗

PubMed1995

Trunk muscle endurance measurement. Isometric contrasted to isokinetic testing in normal subjects.

STUDY DESIGN: This cohort study examined a sample (n = 152) of subjects tested for isokinetic lumbar strength and endurance, using novel endurance measures. OBJECTIVES: To validate a new lumbar sagittal isokinetic endurance testing protocol comparing reliability in a normal subject cohort with strength test reliability to include presentation of a gender-specific normative database, and then correlating the results to a Sorenson isometric endurance protocol. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: The isometric Sorenson test has been virtually the only validated clinical tool for lumbar extensor trunk muscle endurance testing, using an exercise chair and permitting the subject to maintain the trunk horizontal against gravity for a single timed contraction. Alternative isokinetic sagittal lumbar performance measurement methodology has been developed recently to measure trunk muscle endurance by determining declining work performance on repeated, reciprocal dynamic contractions. METHOD: We compared protocols, performance measures, normative data, and reliability for the static isometric Sorenson test to three different isokinetic endurance measurements: the endurance ratio, final fatigue ratio, and recovery ratio. Subjects were tested on a sagittal Cybex TEF (Lumex, Inc., Ronkonkoma, NY) unit for a strength trial followed by an endurance trial. Subgroups also performed reliability and isometric endurance protocols. RESULTS: We found an extremely low test-retest correlation for the isometric Sorenson trunk extension test. All test-retest correlations for the corresponding isokinetic endurance measures were significant and markedly higher. Extensor muscle performance declined more substantially on all endurance measures than flexors and showed more variability. In contrast, trunk strength measures were more reliable and less variable than corresponding endurance measures. Moreover, correlations between the isometric Sorenson test and the isokinetic endurance measures were all negative; i.e., increases in Sorenson time are moderately correlated to greater decline in work performance. CONCLUSIONS: Reliability of the Sorenson isometric endurance test is unacceptably low, showing negative correlations to all isokinetic endurance tests for lumbar extensors. Isokinetic strength and endurance tests are far more reliable than isometric tests, with normative data showing more consistent results from men than women. Both genders display more substantial fatigue (and greater variability) in extensor endurance compared with flexor testing. Endurance measures are identified as human performance cognitive constructs, and reasons for greater variability than usually shown by trunk strength measurements are discussed.

Adult↗

PubMed1995

Common arterial trunk and pulmonary atresia: close developmental cousins? results from a teratogen induced animal model.

OBJECTIVES: To examine morphological similarities between "classically different" congenital heart lesion types induced in fetal rats by the cardiac teratogen N,N'-bis(dichloroacetyl)-1,8-octamethylenediamine (bis-diamine). METHODS: A single 200 mg oral dose of bis-diamine was given to 50 pregnant rats on the 9th gestational day. Eleven controls were fed an inert vehicle. Experimental and control rats were sacrificed from 15.4 days to term and embryos delivered by caesarean section. Age-matched embryos were processed for histology and sectioned at 7 microns. Cardiac morphology was compared between normal and bis-diamine exposed groups. RESULTS: Hearts from control embryos were morphologically normal. Those from bis-diamine treated embryos exhibited common arterial trunk (32%), overriding aortic valve with valvar pulmonary stenosis (40%) or infundibular atresia (4%), or ventricular septal defect (24%). Development of the outlet septum was affected in all hearts and the arterial duct was absent in 72% of cases. Whilst most hearts demonstrated the anatomy expected for their lesion, some with a common arterial valve demonstrated a pulmonary blood supply similar to that in human cases of pulmonary atresia, where, in the absence of an arterial duct, an essential systemic to pulmonary conduit was provided by a "persistent fifth aortic arch artery". In one such case the proximal part of the aortopulmonary septum was identified above a common valve. The septum was deviated to the left and was not continuous throughout the length of the arterial trunk, causing atresia of the pulmonary component. Others had muscular infundibular atresia but with a pulmonary blood supply arising directly from the solitary trunk as seen in common arterial trunk "type III". CONCLUSIONS: Bis-diamine consistently affects development of those structures which partition the arterial segment of the developing heart at one or more levels, often coexistent with agenesis of the sixth aortic arch arteries. Whilst the aortopulmonary and outlet septums were absent in most cases of common arterial trunk, some morphological duality was shared by classically different lesion types in these rat hearts, which may suggest a common aetiology for common arterial trunk "type III" and aortic overriding with absence of the outlet septum and pulmonary atresia.

Abnormalities, Drug-Induced↗

PubMed1994

[Fascicular structure of the middle trunk of the brachial plexus in human post-fetal life].

Thickness of the middle trunk of the brachial plexus, size of cross-section area of its fascicles, number of fascicles and size of index of the fascicle's area has been examined bilaterally on bodies of 34 males and 34 females who died at the age between the 11th and 86th year of life. The middle trunk was present in all the cases and it always made continuation of the root of the brachial plexus coming from C7. The internal structure of the middle trunk is characterized by a great individual variability and asymmetry. The examined features of the middle trunk underwent big changes in postnatal life, mostly up to 22nd year of life. The thickness of the trunk increased 3.5 times, the size of the cross-section area of fascicles--3.2 times, and the number of fascicles by 59%, but the index of fascicle's area decreased by over 11%. The participation of fascicles of different thickness in the structure of the trunk also changed.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Visual object localization through vestibular and neck inputs. 1: Localization with respect to space and relative to the head and trunk mid-sagittal planes.

Object localization in space signals in the absence of an external reference (visual, auditory, haptic) involves a signal of the head in space (vestibular). The present study asks whether signals of body position relative to the support surface (proprioceptive) are involved as well, by investigating the role of vestibular-neck interaction (dissociating head and trunk position). Normal human subjects saw a light spot (object) and continuously nulled displacement steps of the spot. They did so before and after vestibular and/or neck rotational stimulation in the horizontal plane, reproducing a predesignated object localization in space (i), relative to the head mid-sagittal (ii), and relative to the trunk mid-sagittal (iii). The predominant frequency contained in the stimuli was varied (0.05, 0.1, and 0.4 Hz). (I) Object localization in space upon whole-body rotation (vestibular stimulus) at high frequency was veridical, whereas that at low frequency fell short. Almost identical results were obtained for trunk rotation about the stationary head (neck stimulus). In contrast, when combining the stimuli in the form of head rotation on the stationary trunk, the results were veridical, independent of stimulus frequency. Additional findings obtained with a large variety of vestibular-neck stimulus combinations suggest a linear summation of vestibular and neck signals. (II) Object localization with respect to the head was approximately veridical, being independent of vestibular and neck stimulation. However, this only applied if subjects were not biased by a head-in-space motion illusion of neck origin. (III) Object localization with respect to the trunk was veridical in all conditions tested. The findings support a recently developed concept, according to which humans evaluate the kinematic state of a visual object in space by (a) relating it to that of the body support by means of an essentially ideal proprioceptive coordinate transformation, and (b) relating, in turn, the kinematic state of the support to a vestibularly derived notion of space, using a proprioceptive coordinate transformation that "knows" the vestibular transfer characteristics. One important aspect is that object localization in space always is veridical during head and trunk rotation relative to a stationary support (for example, the ground) despite non-ideal vestibular transfer characteristics. Additional findings in patients with chronic loss of vestibular function confirm this concept.

Adult↗