Obesity is linked to impaired sensorimotor synchronization during walking but not tapping

This study compares dynamic stability between individuals with obesity and those of normal weight. Participants performed audiomotor synchronization tasks involving a metronome with sudden phase shifts, both while walking and during finger tapping. The aim was to assess how these perturbations affected participants’ ability to synchronize their movements with auditory beats. Resynchronization was evaluated using the beat–movement relative phase, which quantifies the temporal discrepancy between the auditory cue and the corresponding motor event. The return to a stable relative phase following a perturbation—a process often described in terms of “relaxation time”—was quantified using a decay coefficient, which served as an index of dynamic stability. The results indicated that participants with obesity had greater difficulty resynchronizing their movements during the walking task, but not during the finger tapping task. This suggests that body mass significantly impacts motor control and synchronization in tasks involving whole-body movement. These findings are important for informing rehabilitation and intervention strategies tailored to individuals with obesity.