Effect of neck muscle vibration on upper limb sensorimotor integration and motor performance

Abstract

Upper limb control depends on accurate internal models of the position of the limbs relative to the head and neck. The cerebellum is heavily involved in SMI of neck sensory inputs and motor learning; therefore, it is likely that altered neck sensory input will impact cerebellar processing. However, it is unclear whether acute models of altered afferent input from vibration impacts SMI, somatosensory processing, and proprioception. Study one used SEPs to investigate the effects of neck muscle vibration on SMI and motor learning while study two used an elbow repositioning task to investigate its effects on upper limb proprioception. Vibration led to differential changes in SEP peaks associated with cerebellar processing and motor skill acquisition, and changes in upper limb accuracy. This thesis suggests that neck muscle vibration impacts cerebellar processing and motor control, likely due to vibration-induced alterations in body schema leading to neuroplastic adaptations and reduced accuracy.