Peripheral visual cues affect minimum-foot-clearance during overground locomotion

Gait Posture. 2009 Oct;30(3):370-4. doi: 10.1016/j.gaitpost.2009.06.011. Epub 2009 Jul 22.

Abstract

The importance of peripheral visual cues in the control of minimum-foot-clearance during overground locomotion on a clear path was investigated. Eleven subjects walked at their natural speed whilst wearing goggles providing four different visual conditions: upper occlusion, lower occlusion, circumferential-peripheral occlusion and full vision. Results showed that under circumferential-peripheral occlusion, subjects were more cautious and increased minimum-foot-clearance and decreased walking speed and step length. The minimum-foot-clearance increase can be interpreted as a motor control strategy aiming to safely clear the ground when online visual exproprioceptive cues from the body are not available. The lack of minimum-foot-clearance increase in lower occlusion suggests that the view of a clear pathway from beyond two steps combined with visual exproprioception and optic flow in the upper field were adequate to guide gait. A suggested accompanying safety strategy of reducing the amount of variability of minimum-foot-clearance under circumferential-peripheral occlusion conditions was not found, likely due to the lack of online visual exproprioceptive cues provided by the peripheral visual field for fine-tuning foot trajectory.

MeSH terms

  • Adaptation, Physiological / physiology
  • Adult
  • Analysis of Variance
  • Biomechanical Phenomena
  • Cues*
  • Environment
  • Eye Protective Devices
  • Female
  • Foot*
  • Humans
  • Locomotion / physiology*
  • Male
  • Psychomotor Performance / physiology
  • Visual Fields / physiology
  • Visual Perception / physiology*
  • Walking / physiology*