Gait parameters are differently affected by concurrent smartphone-based activities with scaled levels of cognitive effort.
The widespread and pervasive use of smartphones for sending messages, calling, and entertainment purposes, mainly among young adults, is often accompanied by the concurrent execution of other tasks. Recent studies have analyzed how texting, reading or calling while walking-in some specific condition...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2017-01-01
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| Series: | PLoS ONE |
| Online Access: | http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC5638288?pdf=render |
| _version_ | 1818312493281312768 |
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| author | Carlotta Caramia Ivan Bernabucci Carmen D'Anna Cristiano De Marchis Maurizio Schmid |
| author_facet | Carlotta Caramia Ivan Bernabucci Carmen D'Anna Cristiano De Marchis Maurizio Schmid |
| author_sort | Carlotta Caramia |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The widespread and pervasive use of smartphones for sending messages, calling, and entertainment purposes, mainly among young adults, is often accompanied by the concurrent execution of other tasks. Recent studies have analyzed how texting, reading or calling while walking-in some specific conditions-might significantly influence gait parameters. The aim of this study is to examine the effect of different smartphone activities on walking, evaluating the variations of several gait parameters. 10 young healthy students (all smartphone proficient users) were instructed to text chat (with two different levels of cognitive load), call, surf on a social network or play with a math game while walking in a real-life outdoor setting. Each of these activities is characterized by a different cognitive load. Using an inertial measurement unit on the lower trunk, spatio-temporal gait parameters, together with regularity, symmetry and smoothness parameters, were extracted and grouped for comparison among normal walking and different dual task demands. An overall significant effect of task type on the aforementioned parameters group was observed. The alterations in gait parameters vary as a function of cognitive effort. In particular, stride frequency, step length and gait speed show a decrement, while step time increases as a function of cognitive effort. Smoothness, regularity and symmetry parameters are significantly altered for specific dual task conditions, mainly along the mediolateral direction. These results may lead to a better understanding of the possible risks related to walking and concurrent smartphone use. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-13T08:18:44Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-5bcab1b58340483f9ce647218edb1269 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1932-6203 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-13T08:18:44Z |
| publishDate | 2017-01-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLoS ONE |
| spelling | doaj.art-5bcab1b58340483f9ce647218edb12692022-12-21T23:54:03ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032017-01-011210e018582510.1371/journal.pone.0185825Gait parameters are differently affected by concurrent smartphone-based activities with scaled levels of cognitive effort.Carlotta CaramiaIvan BernabucciCarmen D'AnnaCristiano De MarchisMaurizio SchmidThe widespread and pervasive use of smartphones for sending messages, calling, and entertainment purposes, mainly among young adults, is often accompanied by the concurrent execution of other tasks. Recent studies have analyzed how texting, reading or calling while walking-in some specific conditions-might significantly influence gait parameters. The aim of this study is to examine the effect of different smartphone activities on walking, evaluating the variations of several gait parameters. 10 young healthy students (all smartphone proficient users) were instructed to text chat (with two different levels of cognitive load), call, surf on a social network or play with a math game while walking in a real-life outdoor setting. Each of these activities is characterized by a different cognitive load. Using an inertial measurement unit on the lower trunk, spatio-temporal gait parameters, together with regularity, symmetry and smoothness parameters, were extracted and grouped for comparison among normal walking and different dual task demands. An overall significant effect of task type on the aforementioned parameters group was observed. The alterations in gait parameters vary as a function of cognitive effort. In particular, stride frequency, step length and gait speed show a decrement, while step time increases as a function of cognitive effort. Smoothness, regularity and symmetry parameters are significantly altered for specific dual task conditions, mainly along the mediolateral direction. These results may lead to a better understanding of the possible risks related to walking and concurrent smartphone use.http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC5638288?pdf=render |
| spellingShingle | Carlotta Caramia Ivan Bernabucci Carmen D'Anna Cristiano De Marchis Maurizio Schmid Gait parameters are differently affected by concurrent smartphone-based activities with scaled levels of cognitive effort. PLoS ONE |
| title | Gait parameters are differently affected by concurrent smartphone-based activities with scaled levels of cognitive effort. |
| title_full | Gait parameters are differently affected by concurrent smartphone-based activities with scaled levels of cognitive effort. |
| title_fullStr | Gait parameters are differently affected by concurrent smartphone-based activities with scaled levels of cognitive effort. |
| title_full_unstemmed | Gait parameters are differently affected by concurrent smartphone-based activities with scaled levels of cognitive effort. |
| title_short | Gait parameters are differently affected by concurrent smartphone-based activities with scaled levels of cognitive effort. |
| title_sort | gait parameters are differently affected by concurrent smartphone based activities with scaled levels of cognitive effort |
| url | http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC5638288?pdf=render |
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