Article

Gait initiation (GI) from a quiet bipedal posture has been shown to be influenced
by the emotional state of the actor. The literature suggests that the
biomechanical organization of forward GI is facilitated when pleasant pictures
are shown, as compared to unpleasant pictures. However, there are inconsistencies
in the literature, which could be due to the neural dynamics of affective
processing. This study aimed to test this hypothesis, using a paradigm whereby
participants initiated a step as soon as they saw an affective picture (i.e.,
onset), or as soon as the picture disappeared from the screen (i.e., offset).
Pictures were a priori categorized as pleasant or unpleasant, and could also vary
in their arousing properties. We analyzed center-of-pressure and
center-of-gravity dynamics as a function of emotional content. We found that gait
was initiated faster with pleasant images at onset, and faster with unpleasant
images at offset. Also, with offset GI the peak velocity of the COG was reduced,
and subjects took smaller steps, with unpleasant images relative to pleasant
images. The results are discussed in terms of current knowledge regarding
temporal processing of emotions, and its effects on GI.
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Langue : ANGLAIS