Investigating the Impacts of Vestibular and Auditory Function on Spatiotemporal Gait Characteristics and Spatial Navigation

Project Summary/Abstract
Falls among older adults represent a significant public health issue in the United States. Falls and fall-related
injuries impact approximately 28-49% of the older adult population each year and falls are the primary cause of
accidental death in older adults over the age of 65. Fall related injury and mortality have considerable impact on
healthcare costs. This research seeks to elucidate the interplay between age-related auditory and vestibular
deficits and their effects on gait and spatial navigation. Age-related hearing loss (ARHL) and age-related
vestibular dysfunction are both associated with increased fall risk, yet their influence on gait and spatial
navigation remains underrepresented in the literature. This project aims to address this gap by investigating how
changes in auditory and vestibular function correlate with spatiotemporal gait characteristics and spatial
navigation abilities. We propose a novel approach by employing comprehensive assays of auditory and
vestibular function, including objective and subjective measures of hearing ability as well as vestibular perceptual
thresholds, to evaluate the impact of age-related changes in these systems on gait and spatial navigation.
Participants aged 18-89 will undergo a battery of assessments: auditory tests (including pure-tone audiometry
and speech recognition in noise), vestibular perceptual threshold testing, instrumented gait analysis, and the
triangle completion test to assess spatial navigation. By correlating auditory and vestibular thresholds with gait
variability and spatial navigation performance, this study aims to identify key predictors related to fall risk and
impaired mobility. This research is expected to contribute to a deeper understanding of how ARHL and age-
related changes in vestibular function affect gait and spatial navigation, potentially guiding the development of
targeted interventions to mitigate fall risk and improve quality of life for older adults. The innovative integration
of continuous measures of auditory and vestibular function with dynamic gait and spatial navigation assessments
represents a significant advancement in the field toward the reduction of fall risk in older adults.

Grant Number: 1F32DC022769-01
NIH Institute/Center: NIH
Principal Investigator: Shauntelle Cannon