ESEG_Coordination of competing demands on the trunk muscles: Consequence compensation and mechanism (2005-2006)

We all perform multiple tasks concurrently. Under certain circumstances these functions may have competing demands on the trunk muscles. For instance trunk muscles contribute to breathing and control of the spine. If the nervous system prioritises respiration then the spine may be left unprotected. There are many other examples of competition between trunk muscle functions. This program of experiments aims to investigate four key issues of this problem namely; its extent its consequences the potential for compensation and the mechanism for prioritisation. These studies investigate a novel problem for the motor system. The findings are essential to understand movement control and are likely to be of major importance for spinal pain