"The influence of auditory stimulation on whole body variability in healthy older adults during gait"

Acoustic stimulation appears to be a promising strategy in reducing the risk of falling in older adults, demonstrating effectiveness in improving stability. However, its impact on movement variability, another crucial indicator of fall risk, seems to be limited. This study aims to assess movement variability during walking in a cohort of healthy older adults exposed to three different frequencies of acoustic stimulation (90%, 100% and 110% of each subject's average cadence). Using a systemic approach based on network theory, which considers the intricate relationships between all body segments, we constructed connectivity matrices composed of nodes, represented by bony landmarks, and edges, consisting of the standardised covariance of accelerations between each pair of nodes. By introducing a new metric called Similarity Score (S-score), we quantified the ability of each individual to repeat the same motor pattern at each gait cycle under different experimental conditions. The study revealed that rhythmic auditory stimulation (RAS) at 100% and 90% of the mean cadence significantly increased the S-scores compared to the baseline. These results highlight the effects of RAS in increasing gait repeatability in healthy older adults, with a focus on global kinematics.