University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Center for Human Movement Sciences, Groningen, The Netherlands.
University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Center for Human Movement Sciences, Groningen, The Netherlands.
Hum Mov Sci. 2019 Oct;67:102498. doi: 10.1016/j.humov.2019.102498. Epub 2019 Jul 19.
In a previous study it was observed that participants increase their walking speed during a dual task while walking on a self-paced treadmill in a virtual reality (VR) environment (Gait Real time Analysis Interactive Lab (GRAIL)). This observation is in contrast with the limited resources hypothesis, which suggests walking speed of healthy persons to decrease when performing a cognitive dual task.
The aim of the present study was therefore to determine whether the cognitive demand of the task, an aroused feeling, discrepancy in optic flow or a change in gaze direction caused participants to walk faster in this computer assisted rehabilitation environment.
The GRAIL included a self-paced treadmill, a motion-capture system and synchronized VR environments.
Thirteen healthy young adults (mean age 21.6 ± 2.5) were included in this study. Participants walked on the self-paced treadmill while seven different intervention conditions (IC) were offered. Prior to each IC, a control condition (CC) was used to determine the natural self-selected walking speed. Walking speed during the last 30 s of each IC was compared with the walking speed during the last 30 s of the preceding CC.
Results show that the height on which a visual task was presented in the VR environment, influenced walking speed. Participants walked faster when gaze was directed above the focus of expansion.
These findings contribute to a further understanding of the differences between walking in a real life environment or computer assisted rehabilitation environment. When analyzing gait on a self-paced treadmill in the future, one must be attentive where to place a visual stimulus in the VR environment.
在之前的一项研究中观察到，参与者在虚拟现实 (VR) 环境中使用自我调节跑步机进行双任务行走时会提高行走速度（Gait Real time Analysis Interactive Lab (GRAIL)）。这一观察结果与有限资源假说相矛盾，该假说表明，当健康人执行认知双重任务时，他们的行走速度会下降。
本研究的目的是确定任务的认知需求、唤起的感觉、视流差异或注视方向的变化是否导致参与者在这种计算机辅助康复环境中走得更快。
GRAIL 包括一个自我调节跑步机、一个运动捕捉系统和同步的 VR 环境。
13 名健康的年轻成年人（平均年龄 21.6±2.5）参与了这项研究。参与者在自我调节跑步机上行走，同时提供了七种不同的干预条件 (IC)。在每个 IC 之前，使用控制条件 (CC) 来确定自然的自我选择行走速度。将每个 IC 最后 30 秒的行走速度与前一个 CC 最后 30 秒的行走速度进行比较。
结果表明，在 VR 环境中呈现视觉任务的高度会影响行走速度。当注视方向指向扩展焦点上方时，参与者走得更快。
这些发现有助于进一步理解在现实生活环境或计算机辅助康复环境中行走的差异。在未来分析自我调节跑步机上的步态时，必须注意在 VR 环境中放置视觉刺激的位置。
