Visual–vestibular interaction during goal directed locomotion: effects of aging and blurring vision

Normal vision overrides perturbed vestibular information for the optimization of performance during goal directed locomotion, suggesting down-regulation of vestibular gain. However, it is not known if the responses to vestibular perturbation are accentuated when vision is impaired. Furthermore, both visual and vestibular systems deteriorate with age. It is not clear, however, how age-related decline in these sensory systems influences visual–vestibular interaction. Therefore, the dual purpose of the present study was to investigate the effects of aging and blurring vision, that simulated the consequences of cataracts, on visual–vestibular interaction. Young and healthy elderly walked to a target located straight ahead with either normal or blurring vision. On randomly selected trials vestibular system perturbation was achieved by applying transmastoidal galvanic vestibular stimulation (GVS). Two different galvanic stimulation intensities were used to provide insight into scaling effect of vestibular perturbation on locomotor performance and how age and vision influences this scaling effect. Maximum path deviation, frontal trunk tilt and postural coordination in the mediolateral direction were evaluated. The magnitude of the path deviation and the trunk tilt response were scaled to the magnitude of the vestibular perturbation in older adults independent of the visual condition. Older participants demonstrated increased coupling of the head and trunk segments irrespective of visual and vestibular perturbations. The results suggest that when visual information was available, the vestibular input reweighting was less effective in older individuals, as shown by the scaled responses to the GVS intensities and the inability to converge efficiently towards the target.