Objective: Neck muscle activation plays an important role in maintaining posture and preventing trauma injuries of the head-neck system, levels of which are primarily controlled by the neural system. Thus, the present study aims to establish and validate a neuromuscular head-neck model as well as to investigate the effects of realistic neural reflex control on head-neck behaviors during impact loading. Methods: The neuromuscular head-neck model was first established based on a musculoskeletal model by including neural reflex control of the vestibular system and proprioceptors. Then, a series of human posture control experiments was implemented and used to validate the model concerning both joint kinematics of the cervical spine and neck muscle activations. Finally, frontal impact experiments of varying loading severities were simulated with the newly established model and compared with an original model to investigate the influences of the implanted neural reflex controllers on head-neck kinematic responses. Results: The simulation results using the present neuromuscular model showed good correlations with in-vivo experimental data while the original model even cannot reach a correct balance status. Furthermore, the vestibular reflex is noted to dominate the muscle activation in less severe impact loadings while both vestibular and proprioceptive controllers have a lot of effect in higher impact loading severity cases. Conclusions: In summary, a novel neuromuscular head-model was established and its application demonstrated the significance of the neural reflex control in predicting in vivo head-neck responses and preventing related injury risk due to impact loading.

中文翻译：

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一种新的神经肌肉头颈模型及其在冲击分析中的应用

目的：颈部肌肉激活在保持姿势和预防头颈部系统的外伤方面起着重要作用，头颈部系统的水平主要由神经系统控制。因此，本研究旨在建立和验证神经肌肉头颈部模型，并研究现实神经反射控制对冲击载荷期间头颈部行为的影响。方法：首先在肌肉骨骼模型的基础上建立神经肌肉头颈部模型，包括前庭系统和本体感受器的神经反射控制。然后，实施了一系列人体姿势控制实验，并用于验证有关颈椎和颈部肌肉活动的关节运动学的模型。最后，使用新建立的模型模拟了不同载荷严重程度的正面碰撞实验，并与原始模型进行了比较，以研究植入的神经反射控制器对头颈部运动反应的影响。结果：使用现有神经肌肉模型的模拟结果与体内实验数据显示出良好的相关性，而原始模型甚至无法达到正确的平衡状态。此外，注意到前庭反射在不太严重的冲击负荷中支配肌肉激活，而前庭和本体感觉控制器在冲击负荷严重的情况下有很大影响。结论：总而言之，