Physiological and circuit mechanisms of postural control

The postural system maintains a specific body orientation and equilibrium during standing and during locomotion in the presence of many destabilizing factors (external and internal). Numerous studies in humans have revealed essential features of the functional organization of this system. Recent studies on different animal models have significantly supplemented human studies. They have greatly expanded our knowledge of how the control system operates, how the postural functions are distributed within different parts of CNS, and how these parts interact with each other to produce postural corrections and adjustments. This review outlines recent advances in the studies of postural control in quadrupeds, with special attention given the neuronal postural mechanisms.

► Trunk stabilizing system in quadrupeds consists of semiautonomous subsystems.
► Spinal networks are able to generate EMG patterns of postural corrections.
► Two types of supraspinal postural signals: tonic and phasic.
► Common and separate mechanisms stabilize the trunk during standing and locomotion.