Importance of binocular vision in foot placement accuracy when stepping onto a floor-based target during gait initiation

Exp Brain Res. 2012 Jan;216(1):71-80. doi: 10.1007/s00221-011-2910-x. Epub 2011 Oct 29.

Abstract

This study investigated the importance of binocular vision to foot placement accuracy when stepping onto a floor-based target during gait initiation. Starting from stationary, participants placed alternate feet onto targets sequentially positioned along a straight travel path with the added constraint that the initial target (target 1) could move in the medio-lateral (M-L) direction. Repeated trials when target 1 remained stationary or moved laterally at the instant of lead-limb toe-off (TO) or 200 ms after TO (early swing) were undertaken under binocular and monocular viewing. Catch trials when target 1 shifted medially were also undertaken. Foot-reach kinematics, foot trajectory corrections and foot placement accuracy for the step onto target 1 were determined via 3D motion analyses. Peak foot-reach velocity and initial foot-reach duration were unaffected by vision condition but terminal foot-reach duration was prolonged under monocular conditions (p = 0.002). Foot trajectory alteration onsets were unaffected by vision condition, but onsets occurred sooner when the target shifted in early swing compared to at TO (p = 0.033). M-L foot placement accuracy decreased (p = 0.025) and variability increased (p = 0.05) under monocular conditions, particularly when stepping onto the moving target. There was no difference between vision conditions in A-P foot placement accuracy. Results indicate that monocular vision provides sufficient information to determine stepping distance and correctly transport the foot towards the target but binocular vision is required to attain a precise M-L foot placement; particularly so when stepping onto a moving target. These findings are in agreement with those found in the reaching and grasping literature, indicating that binocular vision is important for end-point precision.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Analysis of Variance
  • Attention
  • Biomechanical Phenomena
  • Female
  • Floors and Floorcoverings
  • Foot / innervation*
  • Gait / physiology*
  • Humans
  • Locomotion / physiology*
  • Male
  • Psychomotor Performance / physiology*
  • Vision, Binocular / physiology*
  • Young Adult