Cognitive load of walking in people who are blind: Subjective and objective measures for assessment |
| |
| Affiliation: | 1. Univ Lyon, IFSTTAR, TS2, LESCOT, F-69675, 25 Avenue François Mitterrand, 69500, Bron, France;2. U1179End:icap UVSQ INSERM CHU Raymond Poincaré APHP, 104 Boulevard Raymond Poincaré, 92380, Garches, France;3. ENS Cachan, 61 Avenue du Président Wilson, 94230, France;1. Vision & Eye Research Unit, Postgraduate Medical Institute, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, UK;2. Sports & Exercise Sciences Research Group, Department of Life Sciences, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, UK;3. Department of Clinical Engineering, Medical Imaging and Medical Physics Directorate, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NH Foundation Trust, Sheffield, UK;1. Program of Interdisciplinary Health Sciences, The University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX, 79968, USA;2. Department of Kinesiology and Health, Georgia State University, P.O. Box 3975, Atlanta, GA, 30302, USA;1. Division of Biomechanics, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Sahand University of Thechnology, Sahand New Town, Tabriz, 51335-1996, Iran;2. Departments of Physical Education and Sport Science, Faculty of Educational Sciences and Psychology, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabil, Iran;3. Department of Sports Biomechanics, University of Mazandaran, Babolsar, Iran;1. Program in Neurosciences and Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, Canada;2. Institute of Medical Sciences and Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada;3. Neuropsychology and Functional Neuroimaging Research Group at Center for Research in Cognition and Neurosciences (CRCN) and ULB Neurosciences Institute (UNI), Brussels, Belgium;4. Laboratoire de Cartographie fonctionnelle du Cerveau, UNI, ULB, Brussels, Belgium;5. Department of Psychology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Canada;6. Department of Medical Imaging, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada;1. Research Unit (UR17JS01) “Sport Performance, Health & Society”, Higher Institute of Sport and Physical Education of Ksar Said, 2010 Tunis, Tunisia;2. ESO-Paris Recherche, Ecole Supérieure d’Ostéopathie – Paris, 8 rue Alfred Nobel, 77420 Champs Sur Marne, France;3. Laboratoire Performance, Santé, Métrologie, Société – EA 7507, UFRSTAPS – Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne, Campus Moulin de la Housse, 51100 Reims, France;1. Unit for Visually Impaired People (U-VIP), Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via E. Melen, 83 - 16152, Genova, Italy;2. Università degli studi di Genova, Department of Informatics, Bioengineering, Robotics and Systems Engineering, Via all''Opera Pia, 13 - 16145, Genova, Italy |
| |
| Abstract: | BackgroundAlthough walking without vision seems to carry a high cognitive cost, few studies have measured the cognitive load involved in this activity in blind people. The aim of this study was to assess the cognitive load of walking in blind people, using gait analysis, a dual task paradigm and a subjective assessment of cognitive load.MethodsIn a quantitative quasi-experimental design, 25 blind adults walked 40 meters. In one trial, participants walked normally (control condition). In another, they walked while performing an auditory simple reaction time task, and in the third trial they walked, performed the simple reaction time task and avoided obstacles. In addition to the simple reaction time task performance, walking speed was recorded, and participants provided a subjective assessment of cognitive load after each trial. Performance of participants aged less than 60 years were compared with those aged over than 60 years.ResultsWalking significantly reduced performance of the simple reaction time task; carrying out the simple reaction time task while walking significantly reduced walking performance and increased the subjective assessment of cognitive load; and simple reaction time task performance decreased and subjective assessment increased when obstacles were present. Few significant age effects were found.SignificanceWalking without vision involves a cognitive load that increases when the environment becomes complex. Each of the three methods used is relevant when assessing the cognitive load involved in walking in blind people, and could be useful in rehabilitation intervention. The results obtained allowed recommendations to be suggested for the design of technological mobility devices. |
| |
| Keywords: | visual impairment mental effort gait analysis simple reaction time task subjective assessment |
| 本文献已被 ScienceDirect 等数据库收录！ |
|
