On the distribution of attention in a visuo-manual adaptation task.

We have observed in a previous study that adaptation to reversed visual feedback in a tracking task is better when subjects are instructed to look at the cursor providing feedback (group C) rather than at the target (group T). Since both groups actually looked at the target, irrespective of their instructions, we suggested that the advantage of group C is not related to their eye movements, but rather to their allocation of spatial attention. The present study scrutinized this view by combining the same adaptation task with a concurrent reaction-time task, designed to spread subjects' attention across the whole display area. Again, subjects were instructed to look at the cursor or at the target, and again, both groups actually looked at the target. Adaptation was similar to group T, and poorer than group C of the previous study. We therefore concluded that adaptation indeed depends on the subjects' allocation of attention: focussing attention mainly on the target, or spreading it across the whole display area, is not as good as distributing attention between target and cursor.

Changes in plantar pressures during bipedal stance with different stance width.

We studied the influence of stance width and vision on the plantar pressures for the left and right foot during bipedal quiet standing on the pressure-sensitive insoles. The support widening shifted the left and right centers-of-foot-pressure (CFPs) laterally and forward (right foot), diminished SDs of: the left and right mean plantar pressures (MPPs), the anteroposterior and mediolateral displacements of left and right CFPs. It also decreased negative correlations between left and right MPPs and between mediolateral displacements of left and right CFP and increased positive correlation between anteroposterior displacements of left and right CFPs, more expressive with eyes-open. The later results suggested that support widening increased the weight of exploratory behaviour regarding anteroposterior equilibrium and decreased exploratory sway serving mediolateral equilibrium. Eyes' closure lead to a small left bias of the body-weight-bearing and forward shift of the left versus right CFP, thus suggesting that vision increased bilateral symmetry of stance.