Changes in task parameters during walking prism adaptation influence the subsequent generalization pattern.

An understanding of the transfer (or generalization) of motor adaptations between legs and across tasks during walking has remained elusive due to limited research and mixed results. Here, we asked whether stepping sequences or task constraints introduced during walking prism-adaptation tasks influence generalization patterns. Forty subjects adapted to prism glasses in precision-walking or obstacle-avoidance tasks that required a specific stepping sequence to the center of two/three targets or laterally over an obstacle.

Prism adaptation and generalization during visually guided locomotor tasks.

The ability of individuals to adapt locomotion to constraints associated with the complex environments normally encountered in everyday life is paramount for survival. Here, we tested the ability of 24 healthy young adults to adapt to a rightward prism shift (∼11.3°) while either walking and stepping to targets (i.