Increased Temporal Variability of Gait in ASD: A Motion Capture and Machine Learning Analysis
Motor deficits, including atypical gait, are common in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), although the precise nature and cause of this co-occurrence is unclear. Because walking is a natural activity and gait timing is a metric that is relatively accessible to measurement, we explored...
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MDPI AG
2025-07-01
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| author | Katharine Goldthorp Benn Henderson Pratheepan Yogarajah Bryan Gardiner Thomas Martin McGinnity Brad Nicholas Dawn C. Wimpory |
| author_facet | Katharine Goldthorp Benn Henderson Pratheepan Yogarajah Bryan Gardiner Thomas Martin McGinnity Brad Nicholas Dawn C. Wimpory |
| author_sort | Katharine Goldthorp |
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| description | Motor deficits, including atypical gait, are common in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), although the precise nature and cause of this co-occurrence is unclear. Because walking is a natural activity and gait timing is a metric that is relatively accessible to measurement, we explored whether autistic gait could be described solely in terms of the timing of gait parameters. The aim was to establish whether temporal analysis, including machine learning models, could be used as a group classifier between ASD and typically developing (TD) individuals. Thus, we performed a high-resolution temporal analysis of gait on two age-matched groups of male participants: one group with high-functioning ASD and a comparison TD group (each <i>N</i> = 16, age range 7 to 35 years). The primary data were collected using a VICON<sup>®</sup> 3D motion analysis system. Significant increased temporal variability of all gait parameters tested was observed for the ASD group compared to the TD group (<i>p</i> < 0.001). Further machine learning analysis showed that the temporal variability of gait could be used as a group classifier for ASD. Of the twelve models tested, the best-fitting model type was random forest. The temporal analysis of gait with machine learning algorithms may be useful as a future ASD diagnostic aid. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-78d647219c7d4286a47d07404000a3a9 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2079-7737 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
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| spelling | doaj-art-78d647219c7d4286a47d07404000a3a92025-08-20T03:13:39ZengMDPI AGBiology2079-77372025-07-0114783210.3390/biology14070832Increased Temporal Variability of Gait in ASD: A Motion Capture and Machine Learning AnalysisKatharine Goldthorp0Benn Henderson1Pratheepan Yogarajah2Bryan Gardiner3Thomas Martin McGinnity4Brad Nicholas5Dawn C. Wimpory6School of Psychology and Sports Science, Bangor University, Bangor LL57 2DG, UKSchool of Computing, Engineering and Intelligent Systems, Ulster University, Derry (Londonderry) BT48 7JL, UKSchool of Computing, Engineering and Intelligent Systems, Ulster University, Derry (Londonderry) BT48 7JL, UKSchool of Computing, Engineering and Intelligent Systems, Ulster University, Derry (Londonderry) BT48 7JL, UKSchool of Computing, Engineering and Intelligent Systems, Ulster University, Derry (Londonderry) BT48 7JL, UKSchool of Psychology and Sports Science, Bangor University, Bangor LL57 2DG, UKSchool of Psychology and Sports Science, Bangor University, Bangor LL57 2DG, UKMotor deficits, including atypical gait, are common in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), although the precise nature and cause of this co-occurrence is unclear. Because walking is a natural activity and gait timing is a metric that is relatively accessible to measurement, we explored whether autistic gait could be described solely in terms of the timing of gait parameters. The aim was to establish whether temporal analysis, including machine learning models, could be used as a group classifier between ASD and typically developing (TD) individuals. Thus, we performed a high-resolution temporal analysis of gait on two age-matched groups of male participants: one group with high-functioning ASD and a comparison TD group (each <i>N</i> = 16, age range 7 to 35 years). The primary data were collected using a VICON<sup>®</sup> 3D motion analysis system. Significant increased temporal variability of all gait parameters tested was observed for the ASD group compared to the TD group (<i>p</i> < 0.001). Further machine learning analysis showed that the temporal variability of gait could be used as a group classifier for ASD. Of the twelve models tested, the best-fitting model type was random forest. The temporal analysis of gait with machine learning algorithms may be useful as a future ASD diagnostic aid.https://www.mdpi.com/2079-7737/14/7/832ASDgaitmachine learningtimingvariability |
| spellingShingle | Katharine Goldthorp Benn Henderson Pratheepan Yogarajah Bryan Gardiner Thomas Martin McGinnity Brad Nicholas Dawn C. Wimpory Increased Temporal Variability of Gait in ASD: A Motion Capture and Machine Learning Analysis Biology ASD gait machine learning timing variability |
| title | Increased Temporal Variability of Gait in ASD: A Motion Capture and Machine Learning Analysis |
| title_full | Increased Temporal Variability of Gait in ASD: A Motion Capture and Machine Learning Analysis |
| title_fullStr | Increased Temporal Variability of Gait in ASD: A Motion Capture and Machine Learning Analysis |
| title_full_unstemmed | Increased Temporal Variability of Gait in ASD: A Motion Capture and Machine Learning Analysis |
| title_short | Increased Temporal Variability of Gait in ASD: A Motion Capture and Machine Learning Analysis |
| title_sort | increased temporal variability of gait in asd a motion capture and machine learning analysis |
| topic | ASD gait machine learning timing variability |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2079-7737/14/7/832 |
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