Split-Belt walking induces changes in active, but not passive, perception of step length

Successful motor control requires accurate estimation of our body in space for planning, executing, and evaluating the outcome of our actions. It has been shown that the estimation of limb position is susceptible to motor adaptation. However, a similar effect has not been found in locomotion, possibly due to how it was tested. We hypothesized that split-belt walking with the legs moving at different speeds changes the estimation of the legs’ position when taking a step. Thus, we assessed young subjects’ perception of step length (i.e., inter-feet distance at foot landing) when they moved their legs (active perception) or when the legs were moved by the experimenter (passive perception). We found that the active perception of step length was substantially altered following split-belt walking, whereas passive perception exhibited minor changes. This suggests that split-belt walking induced the adaptation of efferent signals, without altering sensory signals. We also found that active perceptual shifts were sensitive to how they were tested: they were most salient in the trailing leg and at short step lengths. Our results suggest that split-belt walking could modulate the deficient perception of step length post-stroke, which may contribute to gait asymmetries impairing patients’ mobility.