What is feedforward control?

• A. Postural responses in anticipation of movement that could be destabilizing
• B. Postural responses in reaction to perturbation after movement
• C. Postural responses that occur after the movement is completed
• D. No adjustment in posture before movement

Answer: (A)

Feedforward control is anticipatory postural adjustment: the nervous system pre-activates muscles before a movement that could destabilize you, so balance is maintained in advance rather than after the disturbance happens. For example, when you plan to reach forward or lift something, ankle, hip, and trunk muscles activate in a coordinated way before the hand moves, offsetting the expected shift in your center of mass. This reduces the need for corrective reactions once the movement starts. In contrast, feedback responses occur after a perturbation is sensed and aim to restore stability, not prevent it, and there’s no pre-movement adjustment in that case.