Effects of allocation of visuo-spatial attention to visual stimuli triggering unilateral arm abduction on anticipatory postural control.
OBJECTIVE
We investigated the effects of allocation of visuo-spatial attention to visual stimuli triggering arm movement on anticipatory postural control.


METHODS
Fourteen healthy right-handed subjects participated in the study. Visual stimuli were randomly presented to the left or right visual field on a screen. An attention-directing cue or a non-directional cue was presented at 1000ms before visual stimulus onset. Subjects focused or divided visuo-spatial attention (focused- and divided-attention conditions, respectively) based on types of cues, and abducted the left or right arm rapidly in response to target stimuli (with 30% probability of visual stimuli) according to the side of presentation. Peak-to-peak amplitude of P1 and N1 components of event-related potentials (P1-N1 amplitude) elicited by visual stimuli and activation timing of postural muscles with respect to the middle deltoid were measured.


RESULTS
Compared with divided-attention condition, in focused-attention condition P1-N1 amplitude at occipital electrodes was enhanced and activation of the left hip abductors during right arm abduction was hastened. A significant correlation was observed between the attention-related changes in these two measurements.


CONCLUSIONS
Anticipatory postural control during right arm abduction was influenced by attention-related modulation of sensory-perceptual processing.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings are important for understanding of the effects of visuo-spatial attention on anticipatory postural control.
Tomita
Hidehito
H
Department of Human Movement and Health, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kanazawa University, 13-1 Takara-machi, Kanazawa 920-8640, Japan.
Fujiwara
Katsuo
K
D000328:Adult; D001132:Arm / Q000294:innervation*; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D003463:Cues; D004569:Electroencephalography / Q000379:methods; D004576:Electromyography / Q000379:methods; D005074:Evoked Potentials, Visual / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009068:Movement / Q000502:physiology*; D010775:Photic Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D011187:Posture; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D013028:Space Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D014794:Visual Fields / Q000502:physiology