August 14, 2025
We are thrilled to congratulate Liam Foulger and co-authors Dr. Clavin Kuo, Dr. Romeo Chua, and Dr. Jean-Sébastien Blouin on the recent publication of their paper, "Head kinematic variability is minimal near preferred cadence and independent of the vestibular control of locomotion," in Scientific Reports.
Citation:
Foulger, L.H., Kuo, C., Chua, R., & Blouin, J.S. Head kinematic variability is minimal near preferred cadence and independent of the vestibular control of locomotion. Sci Rep 15, 18670 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-99878-w
Brief description:
We examined how walking speed and cadence influence head movement variability and the vestibular system’s role in balance control during locomotion. Participants walked outdoors at a broad range of cadences and speeds while we measured head motion and balance responses evoked by electrical vestibular stimulation.
We examined how walking speed and cadence influence head movement variability and the vestibular system’s role in balance control during locomotion. Participants walked outdoors at a broad range of cadences and speeds while we measured head motion and balance responses evoked by electrical vestibular stimulation.
Findings:
- Head kinematic variability was lowest near participants’ preferred cadences (about 90–126 steps/min) and gait speeds (around 1.1–1.7 m/s), matching the pace known to minimize metabolic cost during walking.
- Vestibular-evoked balance responses decreased exponentially as cadence and speed increased.
- Head motion variability did not reliably predict the magnitude of vestibular responses, indicating these are regulated independently.
Why this matters:
Walking at your natural pace may not only optimize energy efficiency but also help stabilize head motion and reduce the neural processing demands placed on the brain’s balance system.
Walking at your natural pace may not only optimize energy efficiency but also help stabilize head motion and reduce the neural processing demands placed on the brain’s balance system.
📄 You can read the full paper here: [https://rdcu.be/eAtvo ]
