Cortical potentials time‐locked to discrete postural events during quiet standing are facilitated during postural threat exposure
Bibliographic record
Abstract
During unperturbed bipedal standing, postural control is governed primarily by subcortical and spinal networks. However, it is unclear if cortical networks begin to play a greater role when stability is threatened. This study investigated how initial and repeated exposure to a height-related postural threat modulates cortical potentials time-locked to discrete centre of pressure (COP) events during standing. Twenty-seven young adults completed a series of 90-s standing trials at LOW (0.8 m above the ground, away from edge) and HIGH (3.2 m above the ground, at edge) threat conditions. Three LOW trials were completed before and after 15 consecutive HIGH trials. Participants stood on a force plate while electroencephalographic (EEG) activity was recorded. To examine changes in cortical activity in response to discrete postural events, prominent forward and backward peaks in the anterior-posterior COP time series were identified. EEG data were waveform-averaged to these events and the amplitude of event-related cortical activity was calculated. At the LOW condition, event-related potentials (ERPs) were scarcely detectable. However, once individuals stood at the HIGH condition, clear ERPs were observed, with more prominent potentials being observed for forward (edge-directed), compared to backward, COP events. Since forward COP peaks accelerate the centre of mass away from the platform edge, these results suggest there is intermittent recruitment of cortical networks that may be involved in the detection and minimization of postural sway toward a perceived threat. This altered cortical engagement appears resistant to habituation and may contribute to threat-related balance changes that persist following repeated threat exposure. KEY POINTS: While standing balance control is regulated primarily by subcortical and spinal processes, it is unclear if cortical networks play a greater role when stability is threatened. This study examined how cortical potentials time-locked to prominent peaks in the anterior-posterior centre of pressure (COP) time series were modulated by exposure to a height-related postural threat. While cortical potentials recorded over the primary sensorimotor cortices were scarcely detectable under non-threatening conditions, clear cortical potentials were observed when individuals stood under conditions of height-related threat. Cortical potentials were larger in response to COP peaks directed toward, compared to away from, the platform edge, and showed limited habituation with repeated threat exposure. Since forward COP peaks accelerate the centre of mass away from the platform edge, these findings suggest that when balance is threatened, there is intermittent recruitment of cortical networks, which may minimize the likelihood of falling in the direction of a perceived threat.
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How this classification was reachedexpand
Full frame machine prediction
Teacher imitationNot calibrated prevalence, not ground truth. Human validation pending. The Gemma side is a direct model label for every work in the frame, read from the title-only record. The Codex side is a classifier learned from the 10,348 direct Codex labels and calibrated to design-weighted sample rates; fields without enough sample support carry no Codex call. Candidate is the union of the two sides; consensus is their intersection. These outputs are machine_predicted_unvalidated and are not human labels.
Distilled classifier scores by category (both heads)
| Category | Codex | Gemma |
|---|---|---|
| Metaresearch | 0.000 | 0.001 |
| Meta-epidemiology (narrow) | 0.000 | 0.000 |
| Meta-epidemiology (broad) | 0.000 | 0.000 |
| Bibliometrics | 0.000 | 0.000 |
| Science and technology studies | 0.000 | 0.000 |
| Scholarly communication | 0.000 | 0.000 |
| Open science | 0.000 | 0.000 |
| Research integrity | 0.000 | 0.000 |
| Insufficient payload (model declined to judge) | 0.001 | 0.000 |
Machine scores (provisional)
The two teacher heads of the student model, read on this work. A score orders the frame for review; it never asserts a category, and the validation status ships verbatim with every row.
Baseline scores from an immature model (maturity gate not passed, 7 training rounds). Scores rank; they never assert a category.
score_only:v0-immature-baseline · verbatim from the scoring run: score_only means the number may rank works, and no category label ships from itClassification
machine, unvalidatedMachine predicted; a candidate call from one source (direct Gemma or distilled Codex), not a consensus.
How this classification was reached, model by model and score by score, is at the end of the page under "How this classification was reached".