Conscious movement processing has been suggested to compromise movements by interfering with automatic movement control. This study aims to compare gaze behaviour and gait pattern between individuals with high and low conscious movement processing propensity in older adults at risk of falling during adaptive locomotion. Twenty-one older adults (mean age=72.8±5.2) were included in this preliminary analysis. Participants were divided into two groups, either the Low Reinvestor Group (LRG;n=10) or the High Reinvestor Group (HRG;n=11), by a median split of the Chinese version of Movement Specific Reinvestment Scale (MSRS-C), which assessed conscious movement processing propensity. Each participant performed five trials, where they were instructed to circumvent an obstacle while walking along a pathway at a self-selected pace. Spatial and temporal gait parameters were used to indicate gait pattern. The location of fixations, number of fixations, and percentage of fixation duration were used to indicate gaze behaviour. We observed a significant main effect of group for percentage of fixation duration on destination (F[1, 19]=5.202, p=0.03). LRG spent significantly more time directing their gaze towards the destination than HRG. There was a trend of a main effect of group for double support time (F[1, 19]=4.043, p=0.06). LRG appeared to exhibit less double support time than HRG. Our preliminary analysis discovered a potentially different gaze behaviour (and altered gait pattern) between older adults with different conscious movement processing propensities during adaptive locomotion. Further analysis after completion of data collection is needed to investigate such potential differences and their contribution to the risk of falling.

Authors:
Wai Lung Thomson Wong, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, China
Toby C. T. Mak, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, China
Polly P. Y. Chan, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, China
Candy W. Y. Chan, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, China
Carman K. M. Leung, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, China
Shamay S. M. Ng, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, China

About the Presenter(s)
Dr Wai Lung, Thomson Wong is a University Assistant Professor/Lecturer at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University in China

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