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Gait adaptations to simultaneous cognitive and mechanical constraints.
Emad Al-Yahya1, Helen Dawes, Johnathan Collett
1Movement Science Group, School of Life Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Headington, Oxford, OX3 0BP, UK. eal-yahya@brookes.ac.uk
Experimental Brain Research
|August 13, 2009
Summary
Complex walking tasks challenge both sensory and cognitive systems. Gait adaptations differ for cognitive versus mechanical constraints, with the cognitive system influencing frontal plane dynamics more than the sagittal plane.
Area of Science:
- Biomechanics
- Human motor control
- Cognitive neuroscience
Background:
- Walking is not fully automatic, requiring sensory and cognitive input.
- Complex walking tasks may necessitate gait adaptations beyond simple walking.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate gait adaptations during complex walking tasks involving steeper gradients and concurrent cognitive load.
- To compare gait responses to mechanical versus cognitive constraints.
Main Methods:
- Thirteen healthy young adults walked on a treadmill at varying inclinations (0%, -5%, -10%) under single-task (walking) and dual-task (walking + cognitive task) conditions.
- Gait spatio-temporal measures, pelvis angular excursion, and sacral center of mass (CoM) motion were analyzed.
Main Results:
- Decreasing inclination reduced walking speed and stride length but increased pelvis tilt variability and anteroposterior CoM displacement.
- Dual-tasking increased step width and mediolateral CoM displacement, irrespective of inclination.
- Cognitive load primarily affected frontal plane gait dynamics, while mechanical load influenced sagittal plane dynamics.
Conclusions:
- Gait adaptations differ between cognitive and mechanical challenges.
- The cognitive system prioritizes frontal plane control, while the mechanical system influences sagittal plane dynamics.
- Healthy young adults can adapt gait to perform concurrent tasks during treadmill walking.
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