The effects of route previewing on adaptive gait and gaze behaviour under cognitive dual-task conditions in older adults
- 1Brunel University of London
Abstract
BackgroundSafely walking through complex environments requires the use of visual information to plan and regulate steps, while managing competing cognitive demands. Age-related changes in visual control of gait and executive function may contribute to unsafe stepping behaviour, particularly under cognitive load. Route previewing may support visual-motor planning, but its effects under dual-task conditions in older adults are not well understood.
Research QuestionDoes cognitive dual-tasking influence gait and gaze behaviour during adaptive walking in older adults, and does previewing the walking route before gait initiation mitigate these effects?
MethodsThirty-nine community-dwelling older adults (Mage=73.4 years, SD=8.1; 14 male) completed four adaptive walking conditions, combining single- and dual-task walking with and without previewing. Per condition, participants completed six trials across different 8-m long coloured walking routes. Gait characteristics were assessed using an instrumented walkway and video-analysis, while gaze behaviour was recorded using mobile eye-tracking. Cognitive load was manipulated using a serial-subtraction task. Gait and gaze outcomes were evaluated using linear mixed-effects models.
ResultsDual-task performance significantly increased stepping errors, cross-steps, and double-limb support, while reducing stride length (p < .001). It also significantly increased the number and duration of task irrelevant fixations (p < .001). After previewing, participants exhibited more efficient gaze behaviour, as evidenced by looking further ahead (larger forward gaze transitions) and fewer irrelevant gaze fixations (p < .002). Significant Task-by-Preview interactions revealed that previewing mitigated the negative effects of dual-tasking on stepping errors and cross-steps (p < .001).
SignificanceRoute previewing prior to gait initiation attenuates negative effects of cognitive load on adaptive gait in older adults, likely by supporting visual-motor planning. These findings highlight the potential value of simple visual-planning interventions for improving adaptive gait in older adults.
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BibTeX
@misc{mcveighmellor2026effects,
title = {{The effects of route previewing on adaptive gait and gaze behaviour under cognitive dual-task conditions in older adults}},
author = {O. McVeigh-Mellor and A. J. Cocks and L. OReilly and T. J. Ellmers and E. Kal},
howpublished = {medRxiv},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.64898/2026.10.02.26364602},
url = {https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.10.02.26364602v1},
note = {CC BY-NC},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - The effects of route previewing on adaptive gait and gaze behaviour under cognitive dual-task conditions in older adults
AU - O. McVeigh-Mellor
AU - A. J. Cocks
AU - L. OReilly
AU - T. J. Ellmers
AU - E. Kal
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/02
PB - medRxiv
DO - 10.64898/2026.10.02.26364602
UR - https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.10.02.26364602v1
AB - BackgroundSafely walking through complex environments requires the use of visual information to plan and regulate steps, while managing competing cognitive demands. Age-related changes in visual control of gait and executive function may contribute to unsafe stepping behaviour, particularly under cognitive load. Route previewing may support visual-motor planning, but its effects under dual-task conditions in older adults are not well understood. Research QuestionDoes cognitive dual-tasking influence gait and gaze behaviour during adaptive walking in older adults, and does previewing the walking route before gait initiation mitigate these effects? MethodsThirty-nine community-dwelling older adults (Mage=73.4 years, SD=8.1; 14 male) completed four adaptive walking conditions, combining single- and dual-task walking with and without previewing. Per condition, participants completed six trials across different 8-m long coloured walking routes. Gait characteristics were assessed using an instrumented walkway and video-analysis, while gaze behaviour was recorded using mobile eye-tracking. Cognitive load was manipulated using a serial-subtraction task. Gait and gaze outcomes were evaluated using linear mixed-effects models. ResultsDual-task performance significantly increased stepping errors, cross-steps, and double-limb support, while reducing stride length (p < .001). It also significantly increased the number and duration of task irrelevant fixations (p < .001). After previewing, participants exhibited more efficient gaze behaviour, as evidenced by looking further ahead (larger forward gaze transitions) and fewer irrelevant gaze fixations (p < .002). Significant Task-by-Preview interactions revealed that previewing mitigated the negative effects of dual-tasking on stepping errors and cross-steps (p < .001). SignificanceRoute previewing prior to gait initiation attenuates negative effects of cognitive load on adaptive gait in older adults, likely by supporting visual-motor planning. These findings highlight the potential value of simple visual-planning interventions for improving adaptive gait in older adults.
ER -