School of Basic and Medical Biosciences, Faculty of Life Science and Medicine, King's College London, Guys Campus, Great Maze Pond, London, SE1 9RT England, UK.
School of Basic and Medical Biosciences, Faculty of Life Science and Medicine, King's College London, Guys Campus, Great Maze Pond, London, SE1 9RT England, UK.
Gait Posture. 2021 Jul;88:37-41. doi: 10.1016/j.gaitpost.2021.05.001. Epub 2021 May 4.
Human walking is a highly automated motor task, however if the individual's attention is divided, gait can be negatively affected. Although the effect of divided attention has been usually tested with standardised cognitive tasks, the common task of walking while talking on the phone may represent an ecological dual task scenario.
What is the effect of divided attention on locomotion when using a mobile phone?
Thirty-seven healthy participants were asked to walk while performing different cognitive tasks: counting and spelling backwards, talking on the phone (handset by the ear and hands-free), and texting. As a control, extra postural conditions were tested: holding the phone by the ear (without talking) and carrying the phone as in the texting task. These tasks were compared with normal walking (no other cognitive or postural task). Twenty participants also performed the same tasks with the addition of an obstacle halfway through the walkway. Gait performance was measured using non-invasive inertial sensors. Step time and mediolateral acceleration range were calculated.
Step time increased when counting (mean ± standard error 0.63 ± 0.02 s, p < 0.001), spelling backwards (0.67 ± 0.03 s, p < 0.001) and texting (0.61 ± 0.02 s, p = 0.005) compared to normal walking (0.56 ± 0.02 s). Compared to normal walking (8.03 ± 0.58 m/s), mediolateral acceleration decreased when counting (6.43 ± 0.39 m/s, p < 0.001), spelling backwards (6.67 ± 0.44 m/s, p < 0.001), when talking on the phone while holding the phone (7.28 ± 0.48 m/s, p = 0.003), or hands-free (7.28 ± 0.40 m/s, p = 0.004), or texting (6.71 ± 0.50 m/s, p < 0.001). Introducing an obstacle confirmed these results.
This study shows that even in young and healthy individuals, gait is affected by divided attention. Furthermore, the results show that common and ecological cognitive tasks, such as phone use, could induce measurable worsening of gait performance. Individuals should be careful when walking and performing other tasks that could distract them, by dividing their attention.
人类行走是一项高度自动化的运动任务，但如果个体的注意力被分散，步态可能会受到负面影响。虽然注意力分散的影响通常通过标准化认知任务进行测试，但边走路边打电话这样常见的任务可能代表了一种生态双重任务情景。
使用手机时，注意力分散对运动有什么影响？
要求 37 名健康参与者在执行不同认知任务时行走：数数和倒着拼写、打电话（手持电话放在耳边和免提）和发短信。作为对照，还测试了其他姿势条件：手持电话（不说话）和像发短信任务那样拿着电话。这些任务与正常行走（无其他认知或姿势任务）进行了比较。20 名参与者还在行走过程中增加了障碍物的情况下进行了相同的任务。步态表现使用非侵入性惯性传感器进行测量。计算步时和横向加速度范围。
与正常行走（0.56 ± 0.02 s）相比，数数时（0.63 ± 0.02 s，p < 0.001）、倒着拼写时（0.67 ± 0.03 s，p < 0.001）和发短信时（0.61 ± 0.02 s，p = 0.005）步时增加。与正常行走（8.03 ± 0.58 m/s）相比，数数时（6.43 ± 0.39 m/s，p < 0.001）、倒着拼写时（6.67 ± 0.44 m/s，p < 0.001）、手持电话时（7.28 ± 0.48 m/s，p = 0.003）或免提时（7.28 ± 0.40 m/s，p = 0.004）打电话或发短信时（6.71 ± 0.50 m/s，p < 0.001），横向加速度降低。引入障碍物证实了这些结果。
这项研究表明，即使在年轻和健康的个体中，注意力分散也会影响步态。此外，结果表明，常见和生态认知任务，如电话使用，可能会导致步态表现可测量的恶化。当人们行走和执行其他可能分散注意力的任务时，他们应该小心。
