One Step at a Time: Recovering Balance with Real-Time Auditory Biofeedback
Presenter Type
UNO Graduate Student (Masters)
Major/Field of Study
Biomechanics
Advisor Information
Nathaniel H. Hunt
Location
CEC RM #127
Presentation Type
Oral Presentation
Start Date
22-3-2024 2:30 PM
End Date
22-3-2024 3:45 PM
Abstract
Healthy individuals maintain balance while walking by integrating sensory information from visual, vestibular, and proprioceptive systems to create internal models of self-motion. These models enable crucial compensatory actions to maintain balance while walking, often manifested as adjustments in lateral step placement. Unreliable sensory information can compromise these internal estimations, increasing the risk of balance loss and the potential for falls. While previous research has illuminated the efficacy of sensory augmentation techniques for aiding balance while standing, the impact of using such technology in the context of walking remains largely unexplored. Thus, the purpose of this research was to investigate the effect of real-time auditory biofeedback on walking balance control, specifically during recovery from an unexpected support surface perturbation. Twenty healthy young adults performed six walking trials using the Computer Assisted Rehabilitation Environment (CAREN) system—a split-belt treadmill embedded into a six-degree-of-freedom motion platform. During the last five trials, participants experienced a total of 200 translational platform perturbations while walking, equating to 40 perturbations per trial. These perturbations were delivered at heel strike and varied in magnitude (5 cm or 10 cm) as well as direction (right or left). While performing these trials, half of the participants received auditory biofeedback that provided information about their center of mass motion in real-time, while the other half did not receive any auditory cues. We used motion capture to assess the participants’ ability to recover balance after perturbations were delivered. Consistent with existing literature, our results show a robust correlation between the center of mass position and step placement during unperturbed walking. However, our findings reveal a breakdown in stepping coordination during the third recovery step after a perturbation. This disruption in stepping coordination was swiftly rectified during the subsequent fourth and fifth recovery steps. Interestingly, this finding persisted regardless of the presence or absence of auditory biofeedback.
One Step at a Time: Recovering Balance with Real-Time Auditory Biofeedback
CEC RM #127
Healthy individuals maintain balance while walking by integrating sensory information from visual, vestibular, and proprioceptive systems to create internal models of self-motion. These models enable crucial compensatory actions to maintain balance while walking, often manifested as adjustments in lateral step placement. Unreliable sensory information can compromise these internal estimations, increasing the risk of balance loss and the potential for falls. While previous research has illuminated the efficacy of sensory augmentation techniques for aiding balance while standing, the impact of using such technology in the context of walking remains largely unexplored. Thus, the purpose of this research was to investigate the effect of real-time auditory biofeedback on walking balance control, specifically during recovery from an unexpected support surface perturbation. Twenty healthy young adults performed six walking trials using the Computer Assisted Rehabilitation Environment (CAREN) system—a split-belt treadmill embedded into a six-degree-of-freedom motion platform. During the last five trials, participants experienced a total of 200 translational platform perturbations while walking, equating to 40 perturbations per trial. These perturbations were delivered at heel strike and varied in magnitude (5 cm or 10 cm) as well as direction (right or left). While performing these trials, half of the participants received auditory biofeedback that provided information about their center of mass motion in real-time, while the other half did not receive any auditory cues. We used motion capture to assess the participants’ ability to recover balance after perturbations were delivered. Consistent with existing literature, our results show a robust correlation between the center of mass position and step placement during unperturbed walking. However, our findings reveal a breakdown in stepping coordination during the third recovery step after a perturbation. This disruption in stepping coordination was swiftly rectified during the subsequent fourth and fifth recovery steps. Interestingly, this finding persisted regardless of the presence or absence of auditory biofeedback.