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Access Type
WSU Access
Date of Award
January 2025
Degree Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Ph.D.
Department
Communication
First Advisor
Anthony T. Cacace
Abstract
Alcohol intoxication impairs gait and balance, increasing the risk of accidents. While traditional field sobriety tests (FSTs) can be useful in road-side assessment, their subjectivity lacks the precision require to provide detailed insights into spatio-temporal gait parameters. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of simulated intoxication—using Drunk Busters Goggles—on spatio-temporal gait parameters in healthy adults across multiple walking conditions. Additionally, the study explored the relationship between self-reported cognitive failures and balance confidence with objective gait performance.
A total of 40 healthy participants completed walking tasks on the GAITRiteTM Walkway System both with and without the goggles. Gait parameters analyzed included distance, ambulation time, velocity, step count, cadence, step and stride length, stride velocity, and single- and double-support times. The Cognitive Failures Questionnaire (CFQ) and the Activities-specific Balance Confidence (ABC) Scale were administered.
Results showed significant main effects of simulated intoxication and walking condition on all gait parameters. Wearing the goggles led to increased distance, ambulation time, step count, and single-and double-support time, and decreased velocity, cadence, step length, and stride length and velocity, indicating a conservative gait strategy under impairment. No significant interaction between intoxication and walking condition was observed, suggesting gait alterations were consistent regardless of task complexity. Furthermore, no significant correlations were found between subjective measures and objective gait metrics.
These findings may support the application of Drunk Busters Goggles in simulating alcohol-related gait impairments and highlight the potential utility of quantitative gait analysis to supplement traditional FSTs. The consistent gait changes across single- and dual-task conditions may underscore the widespread and pronounced effect of intoxication on gait. The absence of significant correlations between subjective and objective measures may be partly attributed to the use of a healthy, non-clinical sample. Additionally, the CFQ and ABC Scale are general measures of everyday cognitive mistakes and balance confidence, which may not reflect participants’ perceptions during or immediately after the gait tasks. Future research should extend to older and clinical populations, and controlled alcohol administration to replicate the physiological and cognitive effects of intoxication and explore real-world applications of objective gait assessment.
Recommended Citation
Enayati, Zakaria, "Informing The Police About Gait: A Simulation Study Of Driving While Under The Influence (dui)." (2025). Wayne State University Dissertations. 4277.
https://digitalcommons.wayne.edu/oa_dissertations/4277