title: Head movements destabilize cyclical in-phase but not anti-phase homologous limb coordination in humans.
abstract: The present study addressed the role of head movements in the coordination of the homologous upper or lower limbs in supine normal subjects. Consistent with previous research, in-phase mirror symmetrical movements were performed more accurately and consistently than anti-phase movements. However, inclusion of head movements destabilized in-phase but not anti-phase homologous limb coordination, in contrast to previous work demonstrating a higher vulnerability of anti-phase than in-phase coordination to various experimental perturbations. It was observed that the head moved in the same direction as the limbs during anti- but not during in-phase coordination. Furthermore, the interlimb patterns also affected the head rotations that were lower in spatiotemporal consistency and less consistently coupled with the limbs during in-phase than during anti-phase coordination. These findings provide new insights into the coalition of egocentric and allocentric constraints during interlimb coordination.
authors.affiliation: Department of Kinesiology, F L O K Group Biomedical Sciences K U L, Tervuurse Vest 101, 3001 Heverlee, Belgium.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Meesen
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Levin
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Wenderoth
authors.forename: S P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Swinnen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001132:Arm / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D019416:Head Movements / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007866:Leg / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology*