Does listening to audiobooks affect gait behavior?
Abstract Background The effect of listening to audiobooks, podcasts, and other audio files while walking on gait performance has not been well studied. Although the number of audio users is growing annually. Evidence suggests that a posture-first strategy contributes to gait stability in healthy ind...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2023-11-01
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| Series: | BMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s13102-023-00773-6 |
| _version_ | 1797451819058724864 |
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| author | Aisuluu Atakanova Thea Laurentius Cornelius Bollheimer Frank Hildebrand Hannah Lena Siebers |
| author_facet | Aisuluu Atakanova Thea Laurentius Cornelius Bollheimer Frank Hildebrand Hannah Lena Siebers |
| author_sort | Aisuluu Atakanova |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background The effect of listening to audiobooks, podcasts, and other audio files while walking on gait performance has not been well studied. Although the number of audio users is growing annually. Evidence suggests that a posture-first strategy contributes to gait stability in healthy individuals during dual-task conditions, but this effect may be diminished when the cognitive task is consciously prioritized. Objectives: To study the effect of listening to an audiobook while walking, as a daily life-like dual-task, on spatiotemporal gait parameters. Methods Forty young healthy (24.05 ± 3.66) subjects participated in the study. Spatiotemporal gait parameters were measured for 5 min on a treadmill once without (single-task) and once while listening to an audiobook through over-ear headphones (dual-task). Measured parameters included spatiotemporal parameters, gait phases, maximum pressure, and dual-task cost. Data were statistically analyzed using SPSS software. Results There were no significant differences in any of the studied parameters between the single- and dual-task conditions, even though the subjective cognitive load of listening to audiobooks while walking was high. However, participants with different habits had significant differences in gait phases and maximum pressure. Rare listeners had a shorter stance phase, a longer swing phase, and a higher maximum pressure on the dominant heel. They also had significant differences in dual-task costs. Conclusion No differences in the spatiotemporal gait parameters for walking with and without listening to audiobooks, as a daily life-like dual-task, were observed. However, the difference between participants who listened rarely and participants who listened often may confirm the “posture first” strategy in young healthy people. Trial registration DRKS00025837, retrospectively registered on 23.11.2021. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T14:59:53Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-4d54eb0f6f4a45ac81d54c95e1fdd8c5 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2052-1847 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T14:59:53Z |
| publishDate | 2023-11-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation |
| spelling | doaj.art-4d54eb0f6f4a45ac81d54c95e1fdd8c52023-11-26T13:57:54ZengBMCBMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation2052-18472023-11-011511710.1186/s13102-023-00773-6Does listening to audiobooks affect gait behavior?Aisuluu Atakanova0Thea Laurentius1Cornelius Bollheimer2Frank Hildebrand3Hannah Lena Siebers4Department of Geriatric Medicine, Uniklinik RWTH AachenDepartment of Geriatric Medicine, Uniklinik RWTH AachenDepartment of Geriatric Medicine, Uniklinik RWTH AachenDepartment of Orthopedics, Trauma and Reconstructive Surgery, Uniklinik RWTH AachenDepartment of Orthopedics, Trauma and Reconstructive Surgery, Uniklinik RWTH AachenAbstract Background The effect of listening to audiobooks, podcasts, and other audio files while walking on gait performance has not been well studied. Although the number of audio users is growing annually. Evidence suggests that a posture-first strategy contributes to gait stability in healthy individuals during dual-task conditions, but this effect may be diminished when the cognitive task is consciously prioritized. Objectives: To study the effect of listening to an audiobook while walking, as a daily life-like dual-task, on spatiotemporal gait parameters. Methods Forty young healthy (24.05 ± 3.66) subjects participated in the study. Spatiotemporal gait parameters were measured for 5 min on a treadmill once without (single-task) and once while listening to an audiobook through over-ear headphones (dual-task). Measured parameters included spatiotemporal parameters, gait phases, maximum pressure, and dual-task cost. Data were statistically analyzed using SPSS software. Results There were no significant differences in any of the studied parameters between the single- and dual-task conditions, even though the subjective cognitive load of listening to audiobooks while walking was high. However, participants with different habits had significant differences in gait phases and maximum pressure. Rare listeners had a shorter stance phase, a longer swing phase, and a higher maximum pressure on the dominant heel. They also had significant differences in dual-task costs. Conclusion No differences in the spatiotemporal gait parameters for walking with and without listening to audiobooks, as a daily life-like dual-task, were observed. However, the difference between participants who listened rarely and participants who listened often may confirm the “posture first” strategy in young healthy people. Trial registration DRKS00025837, retrospectively registered on 23.11.2021.https://doi.org/10.1186/s13102-023-00773-6Gait parametersSingle-taskDual-taskTreadmill walkingCognitive performanceDual-tasking cost |
| spellingShingle | Aisuluu Atakanova Thea Laurentius Cornelius Bollheimer Frank Hildebrand Hannah Lena Siebers Does listening to audiobooks affect gait behavior? BMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation Gait parameters Single-task Dual-task Treadmill walking Cognitive performance Dual-tasking cost |
| title | Does listening to audiobooks affect gait behavior? |
| title_full | Does listening to audiobooks affect gait behavior? |
| title_fullStr | Does listening to audiobooks affect gait behavior? |
| title_full_unstemmed | Does listening to audiobooks affect gait behavior? |
| title_short | Does listening to audiobooks affect gait behavior? |
| title_sort | does listening to audiobooks affect gait behavior |
| topic | Gait parameters Single-task Dual-task Treadmill walking Cognitive performance Dual-tasking cost |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s13102-023-00773-6 |
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