Perceptibility of Large and Sequential Changes in Somatosensory Information during Leaning Forward and Backward When Standing

Abstract

11 healthy young men served as subjects in two experiments on perceptibility of (1) large changes in foot pressure and muscle activity induced by body leaning and (2) sequential changes in pressure at the first toe and the head of the first metatarsalis when leaning forward. The effects of reduced sensitivity on that perceptibility were also studied by repeating the experiments while cooling localized plantar areas of the sole (the head of the first metatarsalis, the first toe, and the heel). Under the normal (noncooled) condition, all subjects accurately perceived maximum pressure at the head of the first metatarsalis, but most subjects misperceived the second large increase in pressure at the first toe and in muscle activity as the first large increase. Under the cooling condition, localized cooling did not affect the perceptibility of maximum pressure at the head of the first metatarsalis or the activity in the tibialis anterior, but the perceptibility of pressure at the first toe and activity of the abductor hallucis were reduced. There were individual differences in perceptibility of activity of the rectus femoris when the heel was cooled. Perceptibility of sequential changes in the pressure was affected differently by the localized cooling of each region. Given these findings, we discussed the role and interrelatedness of pressure sensation in perceiving large and sequential changes in somatosensory information while standing and leaning forward and backward.