Unilateral step training can drive faster learning of novel gait patterns.

ABSTRACT: Humans are capable of learning many new walking patterns. People have learned to snowshoe up mountains, racewalk marathons, and march in precise synchrony. But what is required to learn a new walking pattern? Here, we demonstrate that people can learn new walking patterns without actually walking. Through a series of experiments, we observe that stepping with only one leg can facilitate learning of an entirely new walking pattern (i.e., split-belt treadmill walking). We find that the nervous system learns from the relative speed difference between the legs-whether or not both legs are moving-and can transfer this learning to novel gaits. We also show that locomotor learning requires active movement: observing another person adapt their gait did not result in significantly faster learning.

SUBMITTER: Song CN 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7596053 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature