Significance of pressor input from the human feet in lateral postural control. The effect of hypothermia on galvanically induced body-sway.

The significance to human postural control of pressor information from the feet was investigated during vestibular disturbance in seven normal subjects who were exposed to bipolar biaural galvanic stimulation of the vestibular nerves before and after their feet were anaesthetized with hypothermia. The increase in body sway in the lateral plane induced by the galvanic stimulus was enhanced when the feet were anaesthetized, and adaptation of postural control to the galvanic stimulus was delayed. It is concluded that pressor information from the feet contributes significantly to postural control in humans and is important in compensating for vestibular disturbance.