Standing still: Is there a role for the cortex?

• Published in: Neuroscience letters Vol. 590; pp. 18 - 23
• Main Authors: Varghese, Jessy Parokaran, Beyer, Kit B., Williams, Laura, Miyasike-daSilva, Veronica, McIlroy, William E.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Ireland Elsevier Ireland Ltd 17-03-2015
• Subjects: Adult; Balance control; Cerebral Cortex - physiology; Electroencephalography; Evoked Potentials; Female; Humans; Male; Postural Balance; Postural sway; Posture; Spectral analysis; Young Adult; Balance control; Electroencephalography; Postural sway; Spectral analysis; Evoked-potentials
• ISSN: 0304-3940; 1872-7972
• DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2015.01.055

•Focused on cortical control of balance when standing still.•Use of novel approach aligning EEG with naturally occurring postural sway reactions.•Observed a naturally occurring instability-evoked N1 potential.•Amplitude and spectral power increased with increased postural challenge.
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.