Walking modulates visual detection performance according to stride cycle phase.

Area of Science:

• Human locomotion
• Perceptual-motor integration
• Visual neuroscience

Background:

• Walking is a fundamental human behavior.
• The impact of locomotion on perception is not well understood.
• Specific phases within a walking stride may be critical for perceptual-motor coordination.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effect of natural walking on visual perception.
• To determine if visual detection performance oscillates with the walking stride cycle.

Main Methods:

• Participants performed a visual detection task while walking in a virtual reality environment.
• Visual performance was measured across the stride cycle.
• Group-level and individual-level analyses were conducted using Bayesian inference.

Main Results:

• Visual detection accuracy, reaction times, and response likelihood oscillated significantly with walking, approximately 2 cycles per stride.
• Optimal visual performance was consistently aligned with the swing phase of the step.
• Individual participants exhibited oscillations in two main frequency ranges (2 or 4 cycles per stride) with consistent phase alignment.

Conclusions:

• Locomotion, specifically walking, significantly modulates visual perception.
• The stride cycle contains distinct phases that influence visual processing efficiency.
• These findings highlight the intricate coupling between motor actions and sensory perception during natural movement.