The Postural Control System: Difference between revisions
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== Introduction == | == Introduction == | ||
Postural control is a term used to describe the way our central nervous system (CNS) regulates sensory information from other systems in order to produce adequate motor output to maintain a controlled, upright posture. The visual, vestibular, and somatosensory systems are the main sensory systems involved in postural control. | |||
== | Postural orientation and equilibrium are two main functional goals of postural control. Postural orientation control the body’s alignment and tone with respect to gravity, support surface, visual environment, and internal references (Horak, 2006). The coordination of sensorimotor strategies to stabilize the body’s centre of mass during both self-initiated and externally triggered stimuli constitutes postural equilibrium (Horak, 2006). | ||
So what does proper postural control look like? This is when an individual is able to engage in various static and dynamic activities, such as sitting, standing, kneeling, quadruped, crawling, walking, and running with the ability to contract the appropriate muscles required for a controlled midline posture, as well as the ability to make small adjustments in response to changes in position and movement, without the use of compensatory motions. If even one of the three abovementioned systems is not working the way it is supposed to, it can affect postural control and balance. However, when one system is affected the other two can be trained to compensate. If more than one system is affected in combination with central nervous system involvement, postural control will be more greatly affected. | |||
So far we have discussed the 3 important reflexes, namely the CCR, VOR and VSR. We have learnt that there are pathways that work in conjunction with the vestibular nuclei and cerebellum. We are now going to learn about 3 balance systems (visual, vestibular and somatosensory) with close neurophysiological pathways. | |||
== The Visual System == | |||
The primary sensory information to maintain postural balance is the visual system (Uchiyama & Demura, 2009). Therefore, postural stability increases with the improvement of the visual environment. | |||
There are two functional classes of eye movements: those that stabilize the eye when the head moves or appears to move (gaze stabilization) and those that keep the image of a visual target focused on the fovea when the visual target changes or moves (gaze shifting). | |||
== Sub Heading 3 == | == Sub Heading 3 == | ||
Revision as of 14:22, 31 August 2019
Original Editor - Megyn Robertson
Top Contributors - Samuel Adedigba, Kim Jackson, Mandy Roscher, Lucinda hampton, Heba El Saeid, Rachael Lowe, Megyn Robertson, Jess Bell and Stacy Schiurring
Introduction[edit | edit source]
Postural control is a term used to describe the way our central nervous system (CNS) regulates sensory information from other systems in order to produce adequate motor output to maintain a controlled, upright posture. The visual, vestibular, and somatosensory systems are the main sensory systems involved in postural control.
Postural orientation and equilibrium are two main functional goals of postural control. Postural orientation control the body’s alignment and tone with respect to gravity, support surface, visual environment, and internal references (Horak, 2006). The coordination of sensorimotor strategies to stabilize the body’s centre of mass during both self-initiated and externally triggered stimuli constitutes postural equilibrium (Horak, 2006).
So what does proper postural control look like? This is when an individual is able to engage in various static and dynamic activities, such as sitting, standing, kneeling, quadruped, crawling, walking, and running with the ability to contract the appropriate muscles required for a controlled midline posture, as well as the ability to make small adjustments in response to changes in position and movement, without the use of compensatory motions. If even one of the three abovementioned systems is not working the way it is supposed to, it can affect postural control and balance. However, when one system is affected the other two can be trained to compensate. If more than one system is affected in combination with central nervous system involvement, postural control will be more greatly affected.
So far we have discussed the 3 important reflexes, namely the CCR, VOR and VSR. We have learnt that there are pathways that work in conjunction with the vestibular nuclei and cerebellum. We are now going to learn about 3 balance systems (visual, vestibular and somatosensory) with close neurophysiological pathways.
The Visual System[edit | edit source]
The primary sensory information to maintain postural balance is the visual system (Uchiyama & Demura, 2009). Therefore, postural stability increases with the improvement of the visual environment.
There are two functional classes of eye movements: those that stabilize the eye when the head moves or appears to move (gaze stabilization) and those that keep the image of a visual target focused on the fovea when the visual target changes or moves (gaze shifting).
