GaitNCT05713383
The Role of Perturbed Auditory Information for Self-motion in Gait
A study testing Auditory Feedback in people with Gait, run by University of Nebraska at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
As people walk and interact with objects such as when opening a door, their movements make sounds. It is possible that these sounds are also used as feedback to stabilize and adapt movement. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 19 to 35 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Gait
- What is being tested?
- Auditory Feedback
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 0 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 1 Mar 2026to Aug 2026
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 19 to 35 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult
Who may be able to join
- self-reported tolerance to 30 minute exercise
- self-reported ability to walk comfortably for half an hour
Who cannot join
- known hearing or visual impairment
- currently being pregnant
- history of back or lower extremity injury, surgery that affects mobility, and neurological disease or impairment that limit the ability to walk
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
United States1 site
University of Nebraska-Omaha, Department of Biomechanics,
Omaha, Nebraska, 68182
About this study
As people walk and interact with objects such as when opening a door, their movements make sounds. It is possible that these sounds are also used as feedback to stabilize and adapt movement. There is some evidence for such a connection between the auditory and motor systems in activities of daily living, yet the empirical work is insufficient because the role of the auditory system in movement is a relatively neglected topic. The objective of this study is to address this gap. The study will also evaluate the potential for improvements in movement stability and variability by restricting or augmenting the auditory feedback from the participants' footstep sounds.
Read the detailed description
As people walk and interact with objects such as when opening a door, their movements make sounds. It is possible that these sounds are also used as feedback to stabilize and adapt movement. There is some evidence for such a connection between the auditory and motor systems in activities of daily living, yet the empirical work is insufficient because the role of the auditory system in movement is a relatively neglected topic. The objective of this study is to address this gap. The study will also evaluate the potential for improvements in movement stability and variability by restricting or augmenting the auditory feedback from the participants' footstep sounds. Eligibility is based on inclusion and exclusion criteria determined via a self-report questionnaire. The inclusion criteria are age and overall health status (young healthy adults, 19-35) and self-reported ability to walk comfortably for half an hour. Exclusion criteria include known hearing impairment, history of back or lower extremity injury, surgery that affects mobility, neurological disease or impairment that limits the ability to walk (Cerebral palsy). The study will randomly split the participants in a control and experimental group. Participants will perform trials in one condition only, quiet walking or control. Participants will visit the lab five times in the span of two weeks. The first and last sessions will serve for pre-post comparisons.
- Conditions
- Gait
- Being tested
- Auditory Feedback
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Auditory FeedbackBehavioural
Sound amplification is used to accentuate participants' footsteps, while asking them to step softly so as to reduce this sound.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Walking | No intervention | Walking normally without restriction |
| Walking Quietly | Experimental | Participants instructed to make little noise while walking. Receives: Behavioral: Auditory Feedback |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Gait instability measured with the maximum Lyapunov exponent (MLE)
The MLE is sensitive to the degree to which the gait cycle tends to diverge from its average repeated pattern. It is typically computed with the Rosenstein algorithm applied to motion-tracking data recorded while the participant is walking. More specifically, the marker is placed on the participant's upper body close to the center-of-mass. MLE equal to zero indicates a neutrally stable dynamic with perfectly repeatable oscillation. Paradoxically, this is maladaptive. Very low values of MLE close to zero tend to be associated with motor disorders. Increasingly positive values of MLE correspond to higher tolerance for dynamic instability and are associated with a healthy gait pattern. There are also exceptions, not relevant to the present study, where very high instability corresponds to specific motor disorders.
Measured: The time frame to measure changes in the outcome variable is two weeks, from the first to last measurement. The time frame to obtain one sample is a few minutes of walking.
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted6 Feb 2023
- Study start1 Mar 2026 (estimated)
- Primary completionApr 2026 (estimated)
- Study completionAug 2026 (estimated)
Why it stopped: Pilot indicated that this part of the project, which is the last part, would not be feasible in the expected time frame.
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for GaitStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by University of NebraskaThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Basic science
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 0 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University of Nebraska
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Dobromir Dotov, PhD, Principal investigator, University of Nebraska
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05713383
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 0794-22-EP
- Status last verified
- Feb 2025
- First submitted
- 6 Jan 2023
- Last updated
- 16 Jan 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 16 Jan 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- The Role of Perturbed Auditory Information for Self-motion in Gait
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05713383
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 0794-22-EP
- Conditions
- Gait
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- WithdrawnReason stopped: Pilot indicated that this part of the project, which is the last part, would not be feasible in the expected time frame.
- Enrolment
- 0 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- University of NebraskaUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 1 Mar 2026 (estimated)
- Primary completion
- Apr 2026 (estimated)
- Study completion
- Aug 2026 (estimated)
- First posted
- 6 Feb 2023 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
As people walk and interact with objects such as when opening a door, their movements make sounds. It is possible that these sounds are also used as feedback to stabilize and adapt movement. There is some evidence for such a connection between the auditory and motor systems in activities of daily living, yet the empirical work is insufficient because the role of the auditory system in movement is a relatively neglected topic. The objective of this study is to address this gap. The study will also evaluate the potential for improvements in movement stability and variability by restricting or augmenting the auditory feedback from the participants' footstep sounds.
Detailed description
As people walk and interact with objects such as when opening a door, their movements make sounds. It is possible that these sounds are also used as feedback to stabilize and adapt movement. There is some evidence for such a connection between the auditory and motor systems in activities of daily living, yet the empirical work is insufficient because the role of the auditory system in movement is a relatively neglected topic. The objective of this study is to address this gap. The study will also evaluate the potential for improvements in movement stability and variability by restricting or augmenting the auditory feedback from the participants' footstep sounds. Eligibility is based on inclusion and exclusion criteria determined via a self-report questionnaire. The inclusion criteria are age and overall health status (young healthy adults, 19-35) and self-reported ability to walk comfortably for half an hour. Exclusion criteria include known hearing impairment, history of back or lower extremity injury, surgery that affects mobility, neurological disease or impairment that limits the ability to walk (Cerebral palsy). The study will randomly split the participants in a control and experimental group. Participants will perform trials in one condition only, quiet walking or control. Participants will visit the lab five times in the span of two weeks. The first and last sessions will serve for pre-post comparisons.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Basic science
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Walking | No intervention | –Walking normally without restriction |
| Walking Quietly | Experimental | Behavioral: Auditory FeedbackParticipants instructed to make little noise while walking. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 19 to 35 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult
Key inclusion criteria (2 listed)
- self-reported tolerance to 30 minute exercise
- self-reported ability to walk comfortably for half an hour
Key exclusion criteria (3 listed)
- known hearing or visual impairment
- currently being pregnant
- history of back or lower extremity injury, surgery that affects mobility, and neurological disease or impairment that limit the ability to walk
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Auditory FeedbackSound amplification is used to accentuate participants' footsteps, while asking them to step softly so as to reduce this sound. | Behavioural | Walking Quietly |
Primary outcome
Gait instability measured with the maximum Lyapunov exponent (MLE)
Time frame: The time frame to measure changes in the outcome variable is two weeks, from the first to last measurement. The time frame to obtain one sample is a few minutes of walking.
The MLE is sensitive to the degree to which the gait cycle tends to diverge from its average repeated pattern. It is typically computed with the Rosenstein algorithm applied to motion-tracking data recorded while the participant is walking. More specifically, the marker is placed on the participant's upper body close to the center-of-mass. MLE equal to zero indicates a neutrally stable dynamic with perfectly repeatable oscillation. Paradoxically, this is maladaptive. Very low values of MLE close to zero tend to be associated with motor disorders. Increasingly positive values of MLE correspond to higher tolerance for dynamic instability and are associated with a healthy gait pattern. There are also exceptions, not relevant to the present study, where very high instability corresponds to specific motor disorders.
Results and safety
The study was withdrawn before enrolling participants, so there are no results.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 16 Jan 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
Related trials for Gait
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Video-based Visual Feedback Combined With Task-oriented Physiotherapy Among Cerebral Palsy
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Dobromir Dotov, PhD principal investigator
University of Nebraska
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Auditory Feedback in people with Gait, run by University of Nebraska at 1 site in United States.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 2 inclusion and 3 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: withdrawn, as of the sponsor's last update on 16 Jan 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study was withdrawn before enrolling participants, so there are no results.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Gait instability measured with the maximum Lyapunov exponent (MLE) (time frame: The time frame to measure changes in the outcome variable is two weeks, from the first to last measurement. The time frame to obtain one sample is a few minutes of walking.). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 16 Jan 2026.