Validating attentive locomotion training using interactive treadmill: an fNIRS study

BACKGROUND: Existing treadmill-based locomotion training, which has been used for gait function recovery, still has limitations, such as less attentive training. Interactive treadmills (ITMs) were developed to overcome these limitations, but it has not yet been verified that ITMs can make the user pay closer attention to walk training. METHODS: An experimental comparison between ITMs and conventional treadmills was conducted by measuring the level of the user’s attention using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). To consider the effect of task complexity on the subject’s attention, we provided two (slow and fast) speed conditions for walking on both treadmills. RESULTS: Both the cortical activity images and oxygenated hemoglobin (oxyHb) changes showed that the level of attention to walking induced by the ITM was significantly higher than that induced by the conventional treadmill. We found that the walking speed on the ITM also affected the level of attention. CONCLUSION: ITM-based locomotion training would be a promising solution to the limitations of existing treadmill-based locomotion training currently used to improve gait function recovery. TRIAL REGISTRATION: DGIST-HR-150309-03-02. Registered 01 March 2015.