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Improving balance by performing a secondary cognitive task.

Laurie Swan1, Hajime Otani, Peter V Loubert

  • 1School of Rehabilitation & Medical Sciences, Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, MI 48859, USA. laurie.swan@cmich.edu

British Journal of Psychology (London, England : 1953)
|March 10, 2004
PubMed
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Cognitive tasks can improve balance in older adults, especially under challenging conditions. This study found that performing spatial or non-spatial memory tasks enhanced balance performance in older adults when balance difficulty was high.

Area of Science:

  • Gerontology
  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Biomechanics

Background:

  • Research on attention and memory often shows cognitive tasks impair balance.
  • However, some studies indicate cognitive tasks can improve balance performance.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the conditions under which secondary cognitive tasks improve balance.
  • To examine the effects of spatial and non-spatial memory tasks on balance in young and older adults.

Main Methods:

  • Participants performed balance tasks on a sway-measuring platform under varying visual and motion feedback conditions.
  • Balance was assessed while performing or not performing spatial or non-spatial memory tasks.
  • Sway scores were calculated based on pressure centre data.

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Main Results:

  • Both spatial and non-spatial memory tasks significantly improved balance performance in older adults.
  • This improvement was most pronounced under the most difficult balance conditions.
  • Younger adults' balance performance was not significantly affected by the cognitive tasks.

Conclusions:

  • Cognitive engagement, specifically memory tasks, can enhance postural control in older adults.
  • The benefits of cognitive tasks on balance are condition-dependent, particularly for older individuals.
  • Findings suggest a potential dual-task benefit for balance in older populations under demanding circumstances.