Visual perturbations can be used to study balance control and balance deficits due to their ability to elicit corrective motor responses. Advanced age increases the reliance on visual feedback for motor planning and execution. Because older adults are more susceptible to these perturbations than young adults, they may represent a promising diagnostic tool for age-associated falls risk.

In both studies summarized in this thesis, I used a custom virtual reality environment to apply visual perturbations during treadmill walking. The purpose of my first study was to investigate the propensity for visuomotor adaptation in walking balance control using prolonged exposure to visual perturbations. My second study aimed investigated the effects of age and falls history on leg muscle activity during walking with and without visual perturbations. Ultimately, this research will lead to the development of more effective approaches to diagnosing and mitigating the high risk of falls in our aging population