4.7 Sensory Motor Cognitive Gait

Question 1

What role does vision play in gait development?

Answer 1

Vision is key in early walking; without it, gait becomes cautious and unstable.

Question 2

How does the vestibular system contribute to gait?

Answer 2

Otolith organs (gravity/linear acceleration) change most during early walking; semicircular canals are less affected.

Question 3

How are somatosensory and motor contributions to gait organized early in life?

Answer 3

From stance to ~6 years, gait control is bottom-up (surface → hips → shoulders → head).

Question 4

When does head stabilization and top-down balance control emerge?

Answer 4

By around 7–8 years of age.

Question 5

How do infants initially perceive their walking abilities in the environment?

Answer 5

They misjudge what they can handle (e.g., slopes, uneven ground). With experience, perception matches ability.

Question 6

Do perceptual judgments about slopes transfer from crawling to walking?

Answer 6

No, skills learned in crawling do not transfer to walking.

Question 7

How does carrying objects affect infant walking?

Answer 7

It doesn’t increase falls (<3% fall rate); often makes infants more cautious.

Question 8

Do infants explore toys more when standing or walking?

Answer 8

They explore toys more when standing still than when walking.

Question 9

How do easy secondary tasks (like talking) affect gait?

Answer 9

They can stabilize gait and reduce variability.

Question 10

How do harder secondary tasks affect gait?

Answer 10

They increase gait variability and instability.

Question 11

How do young children (<7 years) handle dual-tasking with gait?

Answer 11

They prioritize cognitive tasks, so gait performance suffers.

Question 12

What happens when children face obstacles while dual-tasking?

Answer 12

Both gait and cognitive performance drop significantly.

Question 13

How do children differ from adults in multitasking during gait?

Answer 13

Children manage tasks sequentially (pause, slow down), while adults use parallel processing.