Does listening to audiobooks affect gait behavior?

Area of Science:

• Biomechanics
• Neuroscience
• Human Movement Science

Background:

• The impact of auditory stimuli, such as audiobooks, on gait performance during walking is under-researched.
• Growing popularity of audio content necessitates understanding its effects on daily activities like walking.
• Existing research suggests a 'posture-first' strategy for gait stability in dual-task scenarios, potentially altered by cognitive task prioritization.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the influence of listening to an audiobook while walking on spatiotemporal gait parameters.
• To assess gait performance under a simulated daily life dual-task condition.

Main Methods:

• Forty healthy young adults participated in the study.
• Spatiotemporal gait parameters were measured over 5 minutes on a treadmill under single-task (walking) and dual-task (walking while listening to an audiobook) conditions.
• Key parameters included gait phases, maximum pressure, and dual-task cost, analyzed statistically.

Main Results:

• No significant differences in spatiotemporal gait parameters were found between single-task and dual-task walking, despite high subjective cognitive load.
• Significant differences in gait phases and maximum pressure were observed between participants with varying audiobook listening habits.
• Rare listeners exhibited a shorter stance phase, longer swing phase, and higher dominant heel pressure, with notable differences in dual-task costs.

Conclusions:

• Walking while listening to audiobooks, as a dual-task, did not alter spatiotemporal gait parameters in healthy young adults.
• Observed differences between rare and frequent listeners may support the 'posture first' strategy in this population.
• Individual listening habits could influence gait adjustments during dual-task walking.