The impact of motor task and environmental constraints on gait patterns during treadmill walking in a fully immersive virtual environment
| Autor: | Bård Erik Bogen, Mona Kristin Aaslund, Silje Mæland, Lars Peder Bovim, Beate Eltarvåg Gjesdal |
|---|---|
| Rok vydání: | 2019 |
| Předmět: |
Adult
Male medicine.medical_specialty medicine.medical_treatment Biophysics Task (project management) 03 medical and health sciences Young Adult 0302 clinical medicine Physical medicine and rehabilitation Gait training Task Performance and Analysis medicine Humans Orthopedics and Sports Medicine Treadmill Gait Postural Balance Balance (ability) Rehabilitation Virtual Reality 030229 sport sciences Healthy Volunteers Cross-Sectional Studies Motor Skills Simulator sickness Exercise Test Female Psychology Cadence human activities 030217 neurology & neurosurgery |
| Zdroj: | Gaitposture. 77 |
| ISSN: | 1879-2219 |
| Popis: | Background Virtual environments (VE) are increasingly used in rehabilitation settings for gait training, and positive effects are reported. However, little is known about how walking under environmental constraints and solving motor tasks in fully immersive VEs impact gait patterns. Research Question How are gait patterns in healthy adults impacted by walking under environmental constraints and solving motor tasks on a treadmill, in a fully immersive VE? Methods 29 healthy adults (age: 28.9±4.8 yrs) were included. Basic gait parameters (step length, cadence, walk ratio) and gait variability in the anteroposterior, mediolateral and vertical directions were measured using an inertial sensor attached to the lower back. A familiarisation treadmill walk >2 min was performed, followed by 200 m familiarisation walk in the VE with no task or environmental constraints The participants were then exposed to height, two grabbing tasks, a balancing task and narrow-path walking. Gait patterns were captured for 15–25 seconds during each of the conditions. The Simulator Sickness Questionnaire was completed before and after the session. Results Gait regularity decreased when solving all the motor tasks, and under all the environmental constraints, except when being familiarised to height exposure, where regularity returned to pre-exposure levels. Step length and walk ratio decreased, and cadence increased during height exposure and while performing the grabbing tasks and the balancing task. The different tasks and environments appeared to have specific impact on gait patterns. There was no increase in simulator sickness symptoms. Significance Gait patterns were impacted by solving motor tasks, and by environmental constraints, in healthy young adults, suggesting increased need for balance control. We suggest that VE-training on a treadmill holds potential for improving gait and balance control. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
| Externí odkaz: |
|
Full Text from ScienceDirect