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Visuomotor coordination training in dual-motor task improves balance recovery while responding to visuospatial
Yogesh Singh1, Vineet Vashista2
1Mechanical Engineering, Birla Institute of Technology and Science Pilani, Pilani Campus, 333031, Rajasthan, India.
Objective:
Adapting to a changing environment is crucial for maintaining gait stability and balance, requiring precise visuomotor coordination - manifested through timely modulation of foot placement, step length, and base of support. To address age-related decline in visuomotor coordination that compromises reactive balance during walking, this study investigates the efficacy of a virtual reality-based dual-motor task (DMT) training paradigm in enhancing dynamic gait stability in older adults during visuospatial perturbations.
Methods:
Twenty older adults were recruited and divided into a training group (age: 67.0 ± 5.4 years) and a control group (age: 66.1 ± 8.2 years). The training group underwent DMT-based visuomotor coordination exercise using a virtual reality (VR) environment. The efficacy of training was assessed by measuring transfer effects to a separate VR-based walking task involving visuospatial perturbations. Gait performance was evaluated using reaction time, balance recovery time, and margin of stability (MoS).
Results:
Post-training, the training group exhibited a higher rate of improvement of dynamic stability (MoS) during the recovery steps post-perturbation. Additionally, the training group showed a significant reduction in reaction time and balance recovery time compared to pre-training. In contrast, the control group showed no significant changes in these parameters.
Conclusion:
The DMT training paradigm significantly enhanced visuomotor response and balance recovery in older adults during walking with visuospatial perturbations.
Significance:
The proposed VR-based DMT paradigm offers a promising, scalable training approach to improve dynamic balance recovery in older adults in clinical and home settings.
