Head of Laboratory – Full member of the Russian Academy of Sciences,

Dr.Sc. (Medicine), Prof. Victor Gurfinkel

Tel.: (095) 209-28-95, (095) 951-09-60; E-mail: lab9@iitp.ru

The leading researchers of the laboratory include:

Laboratory of neurobiology of motor control investigates the mechanisms of control of posture and movements for more then 25 years. At present time the efforts are focused at study of system of internal representation and its role in motor control and at the investigations of reference systems used by brain for organization of motor behavior. During last years it was shown that in situations with discrepancy between real and perceived position of body segments many motor reactions such as vestibulo-motor and neck influences on leg muscles or oculomotor reactions are determined not by real body configuration but by its description in the system of the internal representation.

In the activity of laboratory the studies of neural mechanisms of locomotion in cat traditionally took an important place. Now we begin to study stepping automatisms in humans. These studies successfully advance.

Manned spacefights open a possibility for studying how the human central nervous system adapts to the microgravity, to what extent the gravitation is essential for processing of proprioceptive information and for motor control. A series of joint research projects with France was accomplished in this direction during 1982-1999 under conditions of real spaceflights.

With the purpose of finding – out the interaction of central and peripheral mechanisms of locomotion control we investigated the influence of vibration applied to the leg muscles under the conditions of their unloading, on parameters of voluntary stepping movements in man. Is was shown, that the vibration of muscles, depending on a place and conditions of its application influences the activity of the central stepping generator.

We studied the influence of support instability on postural reactions evoked by vibratory stimulation of ankle joint muscles/ It was shown that mobility of the support in frontal plane does not suppress postural reactions to vibration, but mobility in sagittal plane abolishes these reactions.

The influence of weightlessness on errors of arm pointing was investigated in 7 cosmonauts? Participating in three Russian-French orbital spaceflights. It was demonstrated that central program accounts for arm weight and is not corrected under weightlessness conditions if pointing movements are performed without visual feedback.

Neurophysiological mechanisms of visual stabilisation of a vertical posture of the man was investigated under the conditions of the right – left inversion of visual space with the help of prismatic glasses. Postural reaction were evoked by galvanic vestibular stimulation or vibratory stimulation of leg muscles proprioreceptors. It was established, that the destabilisation of posture during visual inversion is connected not only with use of the incorrect visual information about movements of a body, but also with influence of vision on the conditionof reflex mechanisms of postural control.

The changes of a posture are accompanied by volumetric redistribution of blood in body and consequently require fast reorganisation in cardio-vascular system for maintenance of normal circulation. In animal researches was shown, that in this process vestibular apparatus can take part through the direct connections with autonomous nervous system. The experimental research for revealing similar mechanisms in humans was carried out. The data supporting the assumption of presence of direct reflex connections between vestibular system and autonomous nervous system of the man were received.

Is was shown, that postural reaction on vibratory stimulation of shank muscles receptors is not a local reaction limited to one joint, but complex postural synergy, involving both leg and trunk muscles and dependent from the signals of touch and pressure receptors of the upper part of the trunk.