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Using smartphone accelerometry to assess the relationship between cognitive load and gait dynamics during outdoor
Simon Ho1, Amelia Mohtadi2, Kash Daud2
1Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. simon@psych.ubc.ca.
Scientific Reports
|March 1, 2019
Summary
Cognitive load affects gait in young adults, impacting walking speed and stability. Smartphones can effectively measure these gait changes in both indoor and outdoor environments, offering new assessment possibilities.
Area of Science:
- Human movement science
- Cognitive psychology
- Wearable technology
Background:
- Cognitive load is known to increase gait variability and decrease walking speed, indicating instability.
- Most gait research occurs in labs, limiting understanding of how natural environments affect gait dynamics.
- The impact of environmental cognitive load on gait dynamics during outdoor walking is not well-established.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of varying cognitive load on gait dynamics in young adults.
- To compare the impact of cognitive load on gait in indoor versus outdoor environments.
- To assess the utility of smartphone accelerometry for gait analysis in natural settings.
Main Methods:
- Four experiments were conducted with young adults.
- Participants walked in indoor and outdoor environments under different cognitive load conditions.
- Gait dynamics were recorded using smartphone-based accelerometry.
Main Results:
- Increased cognitive load significantly affected gait parameters like step time and step time variability during indoor walking.
- The impact of environmental load on gait was less pronounced outdoors, with only step time showing changes.
- Cognitive load was consistently related to young adult gait in both indoor and outdoor settings.
Conclusions:
- Cognitive load influences young adult gait dynamics across different environments.
- Smartphones serve as viable tools for gait assessment in real-world settings where traditional methods are challenging.
- This research bridges the gap between laboratory gait studies and real-world environmental influences on walking behavior.
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