title: Postural correlates with painful situations.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Emotional context may play a crucial role in movement production. According to simulation theories, emotional states affect motor systems. The aim of this study was to compare postural responses assessed by posturography and electromyography when subjects were instructed to imagine themselves in a painful or a non-painful situation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-nine subjects (22.3 ± 3.7 years) participated in this study. While standing quietly on a posturographic platform, they were instructed to imagine themselves in a painful or non-painful situation. Displacement of the center of pressure (COP), leg muscle electromyographic activity, heart rate, and electrodermal activity were assessed in response to painful and non-painful situations.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The anteroposterior path was shorter (p < 0.05) when subjects imagined themselves in a painful situation (M = 148.0 ± 33.4 mm) compared to a non-painful situation (158.2 ± 38.7 mm). Higher tibialis anterior (TA) activity (RMS-TA = 3.38 ± 1.95% vs. 3.24 ± 1.85%; p < 0.001) and higher variability of soleus (SO) activity (variation coefficient of RMS-SO = 13.5 ± 16.2% vs. M = 9.0 ± 7.2%; p < 0.05) were also observed in painful compared to non-painful situations. No significant changes were observed for other physiological data.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study demonstrates that simulation of painful situations induces changes in postural control and leg muscle activation compared to non-painful situations, as increased stiffness was demonstrated in response to aversive pictures in accordance with previous results.
authors: EA 4559, Laboratoire de Neurosciences Fonctionnelles et Pathologies, UFR de Médecine, Université de Picardie Jules Verne Amiens, France ; Structure Fédérative de Recherche en Santé CAP-Santé, Université de Picardie Jules Verne, Amiens and Université de Reims-Champagne-Ardennes Reims, France.
authors: Thierry
authors: T
authors: Lelard
authors: Benoît
authors: B
authors: Montalan
authors: Maria F
authors: MF
authors: Morel
authors: Pierre
authors: P
authors: Krystkowiak
authors: Said
authors: S
authors: Ahmaidi
authors: Olivier
authors: O
authors: Godefroy
authors: Harold
authors: H
authors: Mouras
keywords: affiliation; embodiment; empathy for pain; posturography; socioaffective neuroscience
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