Obstacle avoidance training in virtual environments leads to limb-specific locomotor adaptations but not to interlimb transfer in healthy young adults

Obstacle avoidance is one of the skills required in coping with challenging situations encountered during walking. This study examined adaptation gait stability and its interlimb transfer a virtual obstacle task. Twelve young adults walked on treadmill while wearing reality headset their body state represented environment. At random times, but always at foot touchdown, 50 obstacles constant size appeared 0.8 m front participant requiring step over right leg. Early, mid late phases were investigated by pooling data from trials 1–3, 24–26 48–50. One left-leg appearing after right-leg was used to investigate transfer. Toe clearance anteroposterior margin (MoS) touchdown calculated for stepping decreased repeated practice between early 0.13 ± 0.05 0.09 0.04 (mean SD, p < 0.05). MoS increased 0.02 0.08 ( 0.05) phases, no significant differences phases. No found toe practiced leg phase single trial left walking environment stimulated adaptive improvements that related nonlinear manner dose, though such adaptations seemed be limited transferability limbs.