Sensory Recalibration from Visually Amplified Rotations While Walking.

Recent work has pointed to the advantages of using distorted reality to foster sensorimotor adaptations. Here we evaluate the extent to which a visuomotor discrepancy created within the large CAVE2 Hybrid Reality Environment might induce an adaptive effect in walking. This experiment specifically studied the consequences of exposure to a rotational gain that made it appear as though the subjects were turning more than actual by a ratio of 3 to 2. We then studied subjects' abilities make turns while blindfolded before and after the experience. This brief training period (~5 minutes) resulted in slightly larger turns. Such rapid adaptive responses can be interpreted as an alteration of the motor plan and possibly a recalibration of proprioceptive and vestibular senses caused by the alteration of visual input. This study provides preliminary evidence of the possibilities of using distorted reality to constructively enhance motor training and rehabilitation.