Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 4, 2026
08:55
Determining and Controlling External Power Output During Regular Handrim Wheelchair Propulsion
Published on: February 5, 2020
7.6K
Environmental Influence on Cognitive-Motor Interaction During Wheelchair Propulsion
Mikaela L Frechette1,2, Jacob J Sosnoff3, Manuel Enrique Hernandez1,4
1Department of Kinesiology and Community Health, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA.
Journal of Motor Behavior
|June 27, 2025
Summary
Environmental complexity did not affect cognitive or motor dual-task costs during wheelchair propulsion. Wheelchair use requires attention, but varying environments did not worsen performance.
Area of Science:
- Rehabilitation Engineering
- Human-Computer Interaction
- Motor Control
Background:
- Wheelchair propulsion is a complex task involving both cognitive and motor processes.
- Understanding how environmental factors influence cognitive-motor interactions is crucial for improving wheelchair user safety and efficiency.
- Previous research suggests environmental complexity can impact performance in various tasks, but its specific effect on wheelchair propulsion is less understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of varying environmental complexity on cognitive-motor interaction during wheelchair propulsion.
- To quantify the dual-task costs (DTCs) for cognitive and motor functions in different environmental settings.
Main Methods:
- Fourteen participants performed single- and dual-task trials involving wheelchair propulsion and a cognitive task (Serial-7 Subtraction).
- Trials were conducted in four environments with differing complexity levels.
- Paired samples t-tests and repeated-measures ANOVAs were used to analyze cognitive and motor function changes and DTCs across environments.
Main Results:
- Cognitive function remained stable from single- to dual-task conditions across all environments, with no significant differences in cognitive DTCs.
- Motor function was compromised in all environments during dual-tasking, but motor DTCs did not significantly differ across environmental complexities.
- Wheelchair propulsion demands significant attentional resources, irrespective of environmental complexity.
Conclusions:
- Environmental complexity does not appear to exacerbate cognitive or motor dual-task costs during wheelchair propulsion.
- Wheelchair propulsion is inherently attentionally demanding, but the tested range of environmental complexity did not impose additional cognitive or motor load.
- Future research could explore a wider range of environmental complexities or different types of cognitive tasks to further elucidate these interactions.
