Sensorimotor control of balance

人类站立几乎毫不费力。在某些方面，我们的平衡系统就像我们的呼吸系统：两者都是不自觉地发生的，但我们知道它们的动作，并在需要时控制它们。拟议中的研究计划将探索大脑如何调节站立平衡的自动控制，让我们感到站立很容易。三个具体的研究目标将被解决：1）确定脚负载力如何有助于平衡活动的调制，2）建立什么感觉运动信息参与平衡系统和3）了解感觉运动信息是如何在平衡系统中转换。这里提出的实验将使用一个新开发的站立平衡机器人，允许神经系统电机输出从其机械后果的解离。该装置将提供新的见解控制站立平衡，让我们问的问题，不能回答没有它。使用这个机器人，结合记录和刺激技术，生理机制的自动控制站立平衡将被探索。这项研究对于了解我们的神经系统如何识别与姿势相关的运动活动以及如何激活平衡控制系统非常重要。特别是，前庭系统在识别姿势相关的运动行为中的作用将被研究。此外，来自我们的脚的感觉信息在促进站立的自动控制中发挥重要作用的可能性也将被研究。** 本提案中描述的方法的验证将有可能将生理和临床研究重新导向人类感觉运动功能，并为站立的机器人控制提出新的建模途径。这项工作的主要受益者将是神经科学、姿势控制、计算机科学和工程领域的研究人员。

Human standing is almost effortless. In some ways, our balance system is like our respiratory system: both happen involuntarily, yet we are aware of their actions and can control them if needed. The proposed research program will explore how the brain regulates the automatic control of standing balance, leaving us with the remarkable sensation that standing is easy. Three specific research objectives will be addressed: 1) determine how foot loading forces contribute to the modulation of balance activity, 2) establish what sensorimotor information engages the balance system and 3) understand how sensorimotor information is transformed in the balance system.** The experiments proposed here will use a newly developed standing balance robot that allows the dissociation of the nervous system motor output from its mechanical consequences. This apparatus will provide novel insights on the control of standing balance by allowing us to ask questions that could not be answered without it. Using this robot, in combination with recording and stimulation techniques, the physiological mechanisms underlying the automatic control of standing balance will be explored. This research is important to understand how our nervous system recognizes a motor activity as relevant to posture and how it consequently activates the balance control system. In particular, the role of the vestibular system in recognizing a motor behaviour as posturally-relevant will be studied. Also, the possibility that sensory information from our feet have an important role in facilitating the automatic control of standing will be investigated. ** The validation of the methods described in this proposal will have the potential to redirect physiological and clinical research into human sensorimotor function and propose new modelling avenues for the robotic control of standing. The principal beneficiaries of this work will be researchers working in the areas of neuroscience, postural control, computer science and engineering.**********