Locomotion through apertures when wider space for locomotion is necessary: adaptation to artificially altered bodily...

The objective of this study is to describe the adaptability of the central nervous system to safely cross a narrow aperture when the space required for passage is transiently extended with external objects under different locomotor constraints. In one of four locomotion forms (normal walking, walking while holding a 63-cm horizontal bar with or without rotating the shoulders to cross a door opening, and wheelchair use), nine participants were asked to pass through an aperture created by two doors (the relative aperture widths were 1.02, 1.10, and 1.20 times their maximum horizontal dimension under each form of locomotion) without a collision. The kinematic analyses showed that, when the participants rotated their shoulders while walking and holding a bar, virtually the same locomotor patterns as those during normal walking were observed: shoulder rotation was regulated well in response to the width of an aperture, and no collisions occurred. When shoulder rotations were restricted while walking and holding a bar or using a wheelchair, a large reduction in the speed of movement was observed as the participants approached the door, and, furthermore, the modulation in speed was dependent on the width of the aperture. In addition, the participants crossed at the center of aperture more accurately; nevertheless, collision sometimes occurred (more frequently, during wheelchair use). These findings reveal that movement constraints on shoulder rotation are likely to be a critical factor in determining whether quick and successful adaptation takes place.