Observational studyJournal of medical Internet research2023
Turning When Using Smartphone in Persons With and Those Without Neurologic Conditions: Observational Study.
Observational study in Journal of medical Internet research, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Who cites it
5 citing papers in PubMed.
- Understanding the Cognitive Load of Cell Phone Use While Walking: Distinct Effects of Texting and Phone Conversation.Brain sciences · 2026Article
- A Multi-sensor Gait Dataset Collected Under Non-standardized Dual-Task Conditions.Scientific data · 2025Article
- A multimodal dataset of real world mobility activities in Parkinson's disease.Scientific data · 2023Article
- A Multicomponent Primary-Care Intervention for Preventing Falls in Older Adults Living in the Community: The PREMIO Study.Journal of clinical medicine · 2023Article
- Impact of Using Smartphone While Walking or Standing: A Study Focused on Age and Cognition.Brain sciences · 2023Article
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Authors and funding
9 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundTurning during walking is a relevant and common everyday movement and it depends on a correct top-down intersegmental coordination. This could be reduced in several conditions (en bloc turning), and an altered turning kinematics has been linked to increased risk of falls. Smartphone use has been associated with poorer balance and gait; however, its effect on turning-while-walking has not been investigated yet. This study explores turning intersegmental coordination during smartphone use in different age groups and neurologic conditions.
objectiveThis study aims to evaluate the effect of smartphone use on turning behavior in healthy individuals of different ages and those with various neurological diseases.
methodsYounger (aged 18-60 years) and older (aged >60 years) healthy individuals and those with Parkinson disease, multiple sclerosis, subacute stroke (<4 weeks), or lower-back pain performed turning-while-walking alone (single task [ST]) and while performing 2 different cognitive tasks of increasing complexity (dual task [DT]). The mobility task consisted of walking up and down a 5-m walkway at self-selected speed, thus including 180° turns. Cognitive tasks consisted of a simple reaction time test (simple DT [SDT]) and a numerical Stroop test (complex DT [CDT]). General (turn duration and the number of steps while turning), segmental (peak angular velocity), and intersegmental turning parameters (intersegmental turning onset latency and maximum intersegmental angle) were extracted for head, sternum, and pelvis using a motion capture system and a turning detection algorithm.
resultsIn total, 121 participants were enrolled. All participants, irrespective of age and neurologic disease, showed a reduced intersegmental turning onset latency and a reduced maximum intersegmental angle of both pelvis and sternum relative to head, thus indicating an en bloc turning behavior when using a smartphone. With regard to change from the ST to turning when using a smartphone, participants with Parkinson disease reduced their peak angular velocity the most, which was significantly different from lower-back pain relative to the head (P<.01). Participants with stroke showed en bloc turning already without smartphone use.
conclusionsSmartphone use during turning-while-walking may lead to en bloc turning and thus increase fall risk across age and neurologic disease groups. This behavior is probably particularly dangerous for those groups with the most pronounced changes in turning parameters during smartphone use and the highest fall risk, such as individuals with Parkinson disease. Moreover, the experimental paradigm presented here might be useful in differentiating individuals with lower-back pain without and those with early or prodromal Parkinson disease. In individuals with subacute stroke, en bloc turning could represent a compensative strategy to overcome the newly occurring mobility deficit. Considering the ubiquitous smartphone use in daily life, this study should stimulate future studies in the area of fall risk and neurological and orthopedic diseases.
trial registrationGerman Clinical Trials Register DRKS00022998; https://drks.de/search/en/trial/DRKS00022998.
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