Currents

UWL researcher explores the effects of music therapy technique on children’s walking patterns 

Gait — the way we walk — might not be as universally recognized as heart rate or body temperature in determining our overall health, but it is often dubbed the "sixth vital sign."   

A healthy gait produces steady and consistent measurements of stride length, stride time, cadence, step width and other factors. As a result, patterns in someone’s gait can reveal critical information about neurological, musculoskeletal, cardiovascular and cognitive health.  

At UW-La Crosse, Haneol Kim, an assistant professor of Exercise and Sport Science, is paving new paths in understanding gait, focusing on previously underexplored groups: children. Meanwhile, he is opening up new research opportunities for UWL students who are branching out to explore gait research among other groups.

While most gait research has centered on healthy adults, Kim is delving into how gait develops in younger populations and how they respond to external constraints such as Rhythmic Auditory Stimulation (RAS). This innovative neurological music therapy technique uses rhythmic auditory cues to improve walking patterns, and Kim's latest study assesses its effectiveness for typically developing children compared to healthy young adults. 

What Kim’s research reveals 

Kim’s recent study highlights the differences in how children and adults respond to RAS while walking on a treadmill. Both groups were able to adjust their gait under the influence of RAS, but children showed more pronounced variability in their gait parameters. This variability is likely a reflection of ongoing development; preadolescent children are still refining their walking patterns.  

"Age plays a crucial role in gait maturation and adaptation," explains Kim. “Our findings show that younger children, particularly those between the ages of 7 and 11, have yet to acquire mature gait patterns and these patterns are less stable compared to adults, particularly in a new environment or innovative task constraint. This may be because their neuromuscular systems are still developing."  

Children at the age of 7 start to display gait patterns that are more like those of adults. Gait development continues with walking patterns becoming mature at around age 14. Kim's study underscores the need for tailored approaches to gait training for children, as their gait variability is a sign of their developing motor skills.  

Kim’s long-term goal is to expand this research to include children with neurological disorders such as Down syndrome and cerebral palsy and older adults with or without neurological diseases. By understanding how RAS affects children with these conditions, he hopes to provide new opportunities for improving their mobility and quality of life.  

“Walking is essential not only for daily activities but also for various physical activities, ultimately related to the quality of life,” says Kim. “I believe gait training can give children with gait impairments a new sense of ability and achievement and allow them to have many opportunities such as living a more independent life, more participation at school, increasing confidence, reducing care needs, and achieving overall healthy lifestyle.”  

Building a foundation for future research, opening student opportunity

Kim’s study employed a variety of advanced tools to measure gait. Participants walked on a treadmill while their movements were captured using a nine-camera VICON motion capture system and an instrumented treadmill by ZEBRIS. Markers were placed on key points of the lower extremities, and gait variables such as stride length, stride time, step width, toe clearance, stance phase, and swing phase were calculated.  

Kim's work is laying the groundwork for future research and interventions that could significantly impact how we understand and address gait issues in both children and adults. His findings are not only advancing scientific knowledge but also holding the promise of improving lives through better gait management strategies.  

“This study is meaningful to build a foundation for typically developing children and healthy young adults, as well as individuals with gait disorders,” says Kim.   

Kim’s research is also providing research opportunities to UWL students. From fall 2023 to spring 2024, UWL Mac Olson, studied gender differences during treadmill walking at the preferred walking speed, research which was later presented at the National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR).  UWL student Taylor Ellison, a Dean’s Distinguished Fellow, is assisting Kim with research this summer and into the fall semester on a pilot study on the effect of walking speed on spatiotemporal gait parameters in children with Down syndrome.   

"I plan to go to physical therapy school after graduation, so I believe that the experience I have gained from gait related research is a valuable stepping-stone into graduate research," says Ellison. "Understanding gait mechanics and patterns will also be crucial in the career of physical therapy, so I am grateful to have experience with gait related research."