Effects of vision and tactile stimulation of the neck on postural control during unperturbed stance and cervical joint position sense in young asymptomatic adults.
METHODS
Before and after intervention trials.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the effects of visual input and tactile stimulation of the neck on postural control during unperturbed stance and cervical joint position sense.


BACKGROUND
Although beneficial effects on lower-limb joints proprioception have been reported when vision was available and when tactile stimulation was applied around lower-limb joints, there has hitherto been no study investigating whether and how vision and tactile stimulation applied to the neck could modify postural control during unperturbed stance and joint position sense.


METHODS
The effects of visual input and tactile stimulation of the neck on postural control during unperturbed stance (Experiments 1 and 2) and cervical joint position sense (Experiments 3 and 4) were assessed in four separate experiments. During these experiments, two experimental tasks (a postural task during unperturbed stance and the CRT to NHP) were executed without (No vision) and with the availability of the vision (Vision) and without (No tactile stimulation condition) and with the application of strips of adhesive bandage to the skin over and around the neck (Tactile stimulation condition). Twelve different subjects participated in the four experiments.


RESULTS
For experiments 1 and 2, decreased centre of foot pressure displacements were observed in the Vision relative to the No vision and in the Tactile stimulation relative to the No tactile stimulation condition. For experiments 3 and 4, more accurate and more consistent repositioning performances were observed in the Vision relative to the No vision and in the Tactile stimulation relative to the No tactile stimulation condition, as indicated by decreased absolute and variable errors, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
Altogether, our results suggest that subjects were able to take advantage of vision and increased neck cutaneous information provided by the by strips of adhesive bandage applied to the neck to improve postural control during unperturbed stance and cervical joint position sense.
Pinsault
Nicolas
N
AFIRM and AGIM3 Teams, TIMC-IMAG Laboratory, UMR UJF CNRS 5525, La Tronche, France.
Bouvier
Benjamin
B
Sarrazin
Yannick
Y
Vuillerme
Nicolas
N
D000328:Adult; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009333:Neck / Q000502:physiology; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D010812:Physical Stimulation; D011187:Posture / Q000502:physiology*; D011434:Proprioception / Q000502:physiology*