Changes in Gait Parameters Due to Visual and Head Oscillations in Football Players and Non-Athletes

Abstract

Functional movements require <styled-content style="color:black" xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> the successful integration of</styled-content> visual, vestibular, and proprioceptive sensory signals. It has been shown that athletes are less affected by external <styled-content style="color:black" xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">sensory</styled-content> perturbations than untrained individuals. This study aims to investigate if trained athletes respond differently to sensory manipulations during <styled-content style="color:black" xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">walking</styled-content> compared to non-athletes. <styled-content style="color:black" xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">A group of Division I football players and non-athletes, 10 subjects each, underwent sensory perturbations while walking overground for 10 laps on a walkway. The sensory perturbations were head yaw oscillations, visual field oscillations,</styled-content> and synchronized head-vision oscillations. A robotic neck brace and a virtual reality system imposed head movements and visual perturbations, respectively. Stride length, stride width, stride velocity, and their respective variabilities were evaluated using a virtual reality system. Results show a condition-dependent change in gait parameters between football players and non-athletes. Visual oscillations caused a wider stride width, shorter stride length, and lower stride velocity in football players <styled-content style="color:black" xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">when</styled-content> compared to non-athletes.