Slipping while counting: gaze-gait interactions during perturbed walking under dual-task conditions.

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Biomechanics
• Human Movement Science

Background:

• Gait requires continuous adaptation to environmental challenges for fall prevention.
• Visual information is crucial for navigating complex terrain and anticipating perturbations.
• Cognitive load can impact sensory processing and motor control during activities of daily living.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how cognitive load affects gait adaptation to environmental perturbations.
• To examine the interplay between visual cues, cognitive demands, and gait adjustments.
• To understand the neural and motor strategies employed during dual-task walking.

Main Methods:

• Participants walked on a treadmill in a virtual environment with experimentally induced gait perturbations (slipping).
• Cognitive load was manipulated by requiring participants to perform a backward counting task.
• Visual cues indicating upcoming perturbations and cognitive load were varied orthogonally.

Main Results:

• Cognitive load primarily influenced head orientation, while visual cues mainly affected eye movements.
• Participants under cognitive load showed reduced adaptation to gait perturbations compared to a single-task condition.
• No significant changes in gait stability or cautious gait were observed under cognitive load.

Conclusions:

• Cognitive load significantly impairs the ability to adapt gait to perturbations.
• Head orientation is modulated by cognitive demands during walking.
• Future research should explore strategies to mitigate cognitive load's impact on gait stability.