Abstract
The head serves as a sensory platform for detection of motion by the visual and vestibular systems and is held in a stereotyped position relative to the environment during natural movements like locomotion (Gibson, 1966; Pozzo et al., 1990; Winter, 1991). This stability of head position helps to maintain the orientation of the head’s special sensory receptors relative to the environment, and regulates the attitude of the head on the trunk as part of overall postural control (Nashner, 1971). Vestibular and cervical reflex responses participate in stabilizing the head and neck by exciting neck muscles to compensate for movements of the head and body (Outerbridge and Melvill Jones, 1971; Schor et al., 1988). The vestibulocollic response (VCR) stabilizes the head in relation to the environment. The cervicocollic response (CCR) is responsible for aligning the head with respect to the body. It is initiated by activation of cervical proprioceptors, and its actions complement those of the VCR during movement (Peterson et al., 1985). In cats, if the body is stationary and the head moves, the VCR and CCR sum their actions to stabilize the head. During body rotation, however, the CCR opposes the compensatory movements generated by the VCR (Goldberg and Peterson, 1986). Data of Goldberg and Peterson (1986) suggest that the VCR and CCR, or related neurally mediated responses, dominate head stabilization in the alert cat up to frequencies of 3–4 Hz where biomechanics become more important.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Allum, J.H.J., and Pfaltz, C.R., 1985, Visual and vestibular contributions to pitch sway stabilization in the ankle muscles of normals and patients with bilateral peripheral vestibular deficits, Exp. Brain Res. 58:82–94.
Baker, J., Goldberg, J., and Peterson, B., 1985, Spatial and temporal response properties of the vestibulocollic reflex in decerebrate cats, J. Neurophysiol. 54:735–756.
Barnes, G.R., and Rance, B.H., 1974, Transmission of angular acceleration to the head in the seated human subject, Aerospace Med. 45:4121–4126.
Barnes, G.R., and Rance, B.H., 1975, Head movement induced by angular oscillation of the body in the pitch and roll axes, Aviation Space Environ. Med., 46:987–993.
Berthoz, A., and Anderson, J.H., 1971, Frequency analysis of vestibular influence on extensor motoneurons. II. Relationship between neck and forelimb extensors, Brain Res. 34:376–380.
Bilotto, G., Goldberg, J., Peterson, B.W., and Wilson, V.J., 1982, Dynamic properties of vestibular reflexes in the decerebrate cat, Exp. Brain Res. 47:343–352.
Bouisset, S., and Zattara, M., 1990, Segmental movement as a perturbation to balance? Facts and concepts. In: Winters, J. M., and Woo, S. L-Y. (eds.), Multiple muscle systems: Biomechanics and movement organization. New York, NY: Springer-Verlag, pp 498–506.
Delp, S.L., Loan, J.P., Hoy, M.G., Zajac, F.E., Topp, E.L., and Rosen, J.M., 1990, An interactive graphics-based model of the lower extremity to study orthopaedic surgical procedures, IEEE Trans. on Biomed. Eng. 37:757–767.
Delp, S.L., and Loan, JP., 1995, A software system to develop and analyze models of musculoskeletal structures, Computers in Biol. and Med. (in press).
Dutia, M.B., and Hunter, M.J., 1985, The sagittal vestibulocollic reflex and its interaction with neck proprioceptive afferents in the decerebrate cat, J. Physiol. 359:17–29.
Ezure, K., and Sasaki, S., 1978, Frequency-response analysis of vestibular-induced neck reflex in cat. I. Characteristics of neural transmission from horizontal semicircular canal to neck motoneurons, J. Neurophysiol. 41:445–458.
Gibson, J.J., 1966, The senses considered as perceptual systems. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin.
Goldberg, J., and Peterson, B.W., 1986, Reflex and mechanical contributions to head stabilization in alert cats, J. Neurophysiol. 56:857–875.
Goldberg, J.M., and Fernandez, C., 1971, Physiology of peripheral neurons innervating semicircular canals of the Squirrel Monkey. III. Variations among units in their discharge properties, J. Neurophysiol. 34:676–684.
Guitton, D., Kearney, R.E., Wereley, N., and Peterson, B.W., 1986, Visual, vestibular and voluntary contributions to human head stabilization, Exp. Brain Res. 64:59–69.
Jeannerod, M., 1984, The contribution of open-loop and closed-loop control modes in prehension movements. In: Kornblum, S., and Requin, J., (eds.), Preparatory states and processes. New Jersey: Erlbaum Assoc., pp 323–338.
Keshner, E.A., and Peterson, B.W., 1988, Motor control strategies underlying head stabilization and voluntary head movements in humans and cats. In: Pompeiano, O., and Allum, J.H.J., (eds.), Vestibulospinal control of posture and movement. Progress in Brain Research. Amsterdam: Elsevier, pp 329–339.
Keshner, E.A., and Peterson, B.W., 1992, Neural and mechanical contributions to voluntary control of the head and neck. In: Berthoz, A., Graf, W., and Vidal, P.P., (eds.), The Head-Neck Sensory-Motor System. Oxford University Press, New York, pp 381–386.
Keshner, E.A., and Peterson, B.W., 1995, Mechanisms controlling human head stability: I. Head-neck dynamics during random rotations in the vertical plane, J. Neurophysiol. (in press).
Keshner, E.A., Allum, J.H.J., and Pfaltz, C.R., 1987, Postural coactivation and adaptation in the sway stabilizing responses of normals and patients with bilateral peripheral vestibular deficit, Exp. Brain Res., 69:66–72.
Keshner, E.A., Baker, J.F., Banovetz, J. and Peterson, B.W., 1992, Patterns of neck muscle activation in cats during reflex and voluntary head movements, Exp. Brain Res., 88: 361–374.
Keshner, E.A., Cromwell, R., and Peterson, B.W., 1995. Mechanisms controlling human head stability: II. Head-neck dynamics during random rotations in the horizontal plane, J. Neurophysiol. (in press).
Nashner, L.M., 1971, A model describing vestibular detection of body sway motion, Acta Otolarygol. (Stockh.).72:429–436.
Nashner, L.M., 1977, Fixed patterns of rapid postural responses among leg muscles during stance, Exp. Brain Res. 30:13–24.
Outerbridge, J.S., and Melvill Jones, G., 1971, Reflex vestibular control of head movements in man, Aerospace Med. 42:935–940.
Peterson, B.W., Goldberg, J., Bilotto, G., and Fuller, J.H., 1985, The cervicocollic reflex: Its dynamic properties and interaction with vestibular reflexes, J. Neurophysiol. 54:90–109.
Pozzo, T., Berthoz, A., and Lefort, L., 1990, Head stabilization during various locomotor tasks in humans. I. Normal subjects, Exp. Brain Res. 82:97–106.
Schor, R.H., Kearney, R.E., and Dieringer, N., 1988, Reflex stabilization of the head. In: Peterson, B. W., and Richmond, F. J. (eds.), Control of Head Movement. New York: Oxford University Press, pp. 141–166.
Seireg, A., and Arvikar, R., 1989, Biomechanical Analysis of the Musculoskeletal Structure for Medicine and Sports. New York: Hemisphere Publishing Corp.
Thomson, D.B., Loeb, G.E., and Richmond, F.J.R., 1994, Effect of neck posture on the activation of feline neck muscles during voluntary head turns, J. Neurophysiol. 72:2004–2014.
Viviani, P., and Berthoz, A., 1985, Dynamics of the head-neck system in response to small perturbations: Analysis and modelling in the frequency domain, Biol. Cybern. 19:19–37.
White, A.A., and Panjabi, M.M., 1990, Clinical Biomechanics of the Spine. Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott Co. Wilson, V.J., and Peterson, B.W., 1988, Vestibular and reticular projections to the neck. In: B.W. Peterson, B.W., and Richmond, F.J. (eds.), Control of Head Movement. New York: Oxford University Press, pp. 129–140.
Winter, D.A., 1991, The Biomechanics and Motor Control of Human Gait: Normal, Elderly and Pathological (2nd Ed). Waterloo: University of Waterloo Press.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1995 Springer Science+Business Media New York
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Keshner, E.A., Peng, G., Hain, T., Peterson, B.W. (1995). Characteristics of Head and Neck Stabilization in Two Planes of Motion. In: Mergner, T., Hlavačka, F. (eds) Multisensory Control of Posture. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-1931-7_10
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-1931-7_10
Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA
Print ISBN: 978-1-4613-5791-9
Online ISBN: 978-1-4615-1931-7
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive