title: Novel proprioceptive action in stepping down.
abstract: A hypothesis is offered which extends the concept of proprioception to use information necessarily obtained during the first part of a complex motion (stepping down) to facilitate the second part. It is suggested that, when the leading foot of a normal person stepping down arrives at its destination, relevant proprioceptive information is used by the following foot in its descent, to render its movement more efficient. Analogy to another effort-minimizing proprioceptive mechanism and a possible mechanical manifestation of the hypothesis are given.
authors.affiliation: Medical Imaging Group, Medical Research Council, Tygerberg, South Africa.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wynchank
authors.forename: L P
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Adams
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Driver-Jowitt
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Selby
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Van Geems
mesh_terms: D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D005528:Foot / Q000502:physiology; D005684:Gait / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008124:Locomotion / Q000502:physiology*; D008954:Models, Biological; D009039:Motion Perception / Q000502:physiology; D009068:Movement / Q000502:physiology; D011434:Proprioception / Q000502:physiology*; D016138:Walking / Q000502:physiology