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Dual-task treadmill walking at self-paced versus fixed speeds.

Pei-Chun Kao1, Michaela A Pierro2

  • 1Department of Physical Therapy and Kinesiology, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA, United States; New England Robotics Validation and Experimentation (NERVE) Center, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA, United States.

Gait & Posture
|July 15, 2021
PubMed
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Motor adaptation to cognitive challenges and walking perturbations in healthy young adults.

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Self-paced treadmill walking presents greater challenges for cognitive-motor interference than fixed-speed walking. This highlights self-paced conditions as a more realistic method for studying dual-task gait in healthy adults.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Biomechanics
  • Human Motor Control

Background:

  • Investigating cognitive-motor interference on treadmills aids understanding of motor adaptation to dual-task challenges.
  • A limitation of current treadmill studies is the use of fixed walking speeds, which do not reflect natural gait fluctuations.
  • Self-paced, feedback-controlled treadmills offer a potential solution by allowing natural speed variations.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate whether individuals employ different adaptation and task prioritization strategies during dual-task treadmill walking at self-paced versus fixed speeds.
  • To compare the effects of cognitive tasks on gait stability and performance under self-paced and fixed-speed treadmill conditions.

Main Methods:

  • Eighteen healthy young adults participated in treadmill walking trials under self-paced and fixed-speed conditions.
Keywords:
Cognitive-motor interferenceDual-taskFixed speedGaitSelf-paced walking

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  • Participants performed walking tasks with and without four different cognitive tasks.
  • Measures included dynamic margins of stability, step spatiotemporal parameters, kinematic variability, and local dynamic stability.

    • Main Results:

    • Self-paced walking exhibited significantly more local instability compared to fixed-speed walking.
    • The typical reduction in stride time variability during dual-task, fixed-speed walking was absent in the self-paced condition.
    • Greater dual-task interference effects on stride time variability, local dynamic stability, and cognitive performance (Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test) were observed during self-paced walking.

    Conclusions:

    • Healthy young adults demonstrate distinct task prioritization and experience greater dual-task effects on gait stability and cognitive function during self-paced versus fixed-speed walking.
    • Despite differences in dual-task effects, similar gait adjustment strategies were employed across both walking conditions.
    • Self-paced treadmill walking is more challenging and represents a more ecologically valid alternative to fixed-speed treadmill or overground walking for dual-task investigations.