Balance during walking on a treadmill in a virtual environment: A pilot study

Abstract

Background: Dynamic balance is a prerequisite for coping with changes in everyday walking activity. Studies have shown that dynamic balance can be affected by combining cognitive and motor activities during walking on flat surfaces. Purpose: To investigate how dynamic balance is affected in young, healthy people who, through a screen-based virtual environment, are exposed to cognitive, visual and auditory challenges while walking on a treadmill. Dynamic balance is presented as a change in gait parameter. Method: The preferred walking speed when walking on the floor (GG) was used on the treadmill. After four minutes of habituation (T), a wide-format film from city centre was shown. Registration of walking was undertaken in four planned situation, which to varying degree included visual and auditory stimuli in combination with cognitive tasks (VM1-4). An accelerometer attached to the lower back recorded step length (cm) and cadence (step/minute). Walk ratio (stride length/cadence) was calculated. Results: Ten young adults (23 ± 2 years, BMI 23.8 ± 1.4, women: 5) participated. There were no changes in dynamic balance from GG to T (p> 0.05). During VM1, cadence was increased, while during VM2, the most complex situation, both step length and walk ratio were reduced, with an increase in cadence (p <0.05). Conclusion: The results indicate that the participants adapted to the task and that the dynamic balance to some extent, was affected.

Keywords

• balance
• walking
• virtual environment