Walking modulates visual detection performance according to stride cycle phase

• DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45780-4
• Publication Date: 2024-03-07T11:06:27Z
• Authors: Matthew J. Davidson; Frans A. J. Verst...; David Alais
• Keywords: STRIDE

Walking is among our most frequent and natural of voluntary behaviours, yet the consequences locomotion upon perceptual cognitive function remain largely unknown. Recent work has highlighted that although walking feels smooth continuous, critical phases exist within each step for successful coordination motor function. Here, we test whether these phasic demands impact visual perception, by assessing performance in a detection task during unencumbered walking. We finely sample over stride cycle as participants walk along linear path at comfortable speed wireless virtual reality environment. At group-level, accuracy, reaction times, response likelihood show strong oscillations, modulating approximately 2 cycles per (~2 Hz) with marked phase optimal aligned swing step. participant level, Bayesian inference population prevalence reveals highly prevalent oscillations cluster two idiosyncratic frequency ranges (2 or 4 stride), alignment across participants.