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Investigating the Deployment of Visual Attention Before Accurate and Averaging Saccades via Eye Tracking and Assessment of Visual Sensitivity
Published on: March 18, 2019
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Distracting visuospatial attention while approaching an obstacle reduces the toe-obstacle clearance
On-Yee Lo1, Paul van Donkelaar, Li-Shan Chou
1Department of Human Physiology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, 97403, USA.
Experimental Brain Research
|January 9, 2015
Summary
Visuospatial attention is crucial for obstacle crossing during walking. This study found that attention is directed towards obstacles, influencing foot clearance in a spatially and temporally dependent manner.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Biomechanics
- Human Movement Science
Background:
- Obstacle crossing during gait necessitates visuospatial attention for accurate foot clearance and obstacle identification.
- The interplay between attentional focus and motor control during obstacle negotiation remains incompletely understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the spatial distribution of visuospatial attention when approaching and stepping over obstacles during walking.
- To examine how obstacle presence modulates attentional allocation during locomotion.
Main Methods:
- Eleven healthy young adults participated in a visuospatial attention task under four conditions: standing, crossing an obstacle before a target, crossing after a target, and crossing without a target.
- Toe-obstacle clearance was measured for the trailing leg.
Main Results:
- Toe-obstacle clearance was reduced for the trailing leg when the obstacle was positioned after the visual target (ObsAfter).
- Attention task accuracy was higher for locations nearer to the obstacle.
- No significant difference in clearance was observed between ObsBefore, ObsAfter, and ObsOnly conditions for the leading leg.
Conclusions:
- Visuospatial attention and obstacle crossing interact dynamically, influenced by both the spatial location and timing relative to the obstacle.
- Attentional resources are prioritized towards the obstacle during gait, impacting motor adjustments for successful clearance.
