Auditory contributions to postural and locomotor control: from basic research to clinical applications

Auditory information plays a critical role in human posture and locomotion. Beyond its obvious contribution to spatial awareness, sound provides continuous cues about body orientation, movement dynamics and environmental context. This review summarizes current knowledge on how auditory inputs modulate postural stability, locomotor kinematics and muscle coordination through multisensory integration with visual,...

This review signals that auditory cues may be a meaningful, underutilised target in balance and gait rehabilitation; audiologists treating patients with concurrent hearing loss and balance difficulties should be aware of this evidence base, though no specific clinical protocol change is immediately mandated.

Establishing a clear evidence bridge between auditory neuroscience and postural/locomotor rehabilitation could expand the audiologist's role in multidisciplinary balance care and inform hearing device fitting goals.

1. 01Review covers how auditory information contributes to postural stability and gait control.
2. 02Bridges basic neuroscience findings with practical clinical rehabilitation applications.
3. 03Published in Experimental Brain Research, a peer-reviewed neuroscience journal.
4. 04Has implications for audiologists, physiotherapists, and neurorehabilitation clinicians.
5. 05Suggests auditory cues are an underexplored avenue in balance therapy.

PMID

42329283

DOI

10.1007/s00221-026-07337-3.

Journal

Experimental Brain Research

Publication type

review

Evidence level

1a

Population

General population / patients with postural and locomotor control challenges (synthesised across multiple studies)

Intervention

Auditory contributions to postural and locomotor control