Humans and animals learn the internal model of bodies and environments from their experience and stabilize posture against disturbances based on the predicted future states according to the internal model. We evaluated the mechanism of predictive control during standing, by using rats to construct a novel experimental system and comparing their behaviors with a mathematical model. In the experiments, rats (n = 6) that were standing upright using their hindlimbs were given a sensory input of light, after a certain period, the floor under them tilted backward. Initially, this disturbance induced a large postural response, including backward rotation of the center-of-mass angle and hindlimb segments. However, the rats gradually adjusted to the disturbance after experiencing 70 sequential trials, and a reduction in the amplitude of postural response was noted. We simulated the postural control of the rats under disturbance using an inverted pendulum model and model predictive control (MPC). MPC is a control method for predicting the future state using an internal model of the control target. It provides control inputs that optimize the predicted future states. Identification of the predictive and physiological parameters so that the simulation corresponds to the experiment, resulted in a value of predictive horizon (0.96 s) close to the interval time in the experiment (0.9–1.15 s). These results suggest that the rats predict posture dynamics under disturbance based on the timing of the sensory input and that the central nervous system provides plasticity mechanisms to acquire the internal model for MPC.
The purpose of this study was to develop the Japanese version of the Personal Attitude Stability Scale (PASS-J) and examine its reliability and validity. Personal attitude stability refers to individual differences in people's perceived attitude stability that predict the actual stability of their attitudes over time. Three web surveys were conducted to examine the reliability and validity of the scale. The results of confirmatory factor analysis of data from the three surveys showed that the PASS-J had the same factor structure as the original scale. Additionally, survey 1 and 2 established test-retest reliability over a two-week period. Furthermore, the results of the multilevel modeling indicated that in the case of people with high scores on the PASS-J, their Time 1 attitudes were more predictive of their Time 2 attitudes. This confirmed the scale's predictive validity. Lastly, in survey 3, the correlation analyses between the PASS-J and existing scales confirmed its convergent validity. Thus, the PASS-J was confirmed as a useful measure of personal attitude stability.
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