title: Standing still: is there a role for the cortex?
abstract: In humans, standing still appears so automatic that high-level cortical processes seem unnecessary. However, by measuring cortical activity time-locked to reactive control events arising from naturally occurring instability while standing still, we detected cortical involvement in the form of an evoked N1 potential prior to the onset of balance reactions. Peak amplitude and spectral power of this event-related activity increased as postural challenges and demand for reactive control increased.
authors.affiliation: Department of Kinesiology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Jessy Parokaran
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Varghese
authors.affiliation: Department of Kinesiology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Kit B
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Beyer
authors.affiliation: Department of Kinesiology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.affiliation: Department of Kinesiology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada; Canadian Partnership for Stroke Recovery, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Veronica
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Miyasike-daSilva
authors.affiliation: Department of Kinesiology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada; Canadian Partnership for Stroke Recovery, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Electronic address: wmcilroy@uwaterloo.ca.
authors.forename: William E
authors.initials: WE
authors.lastname: McIlroy
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000502:physiology*; D004569:Electroencephalography; D005071:Evoked Potentials; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D004856:Postural Balance; D011187:Posture; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Balance control; Electroencephalography; Evoked-potentials; Postural sway; Spectral analysis