Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 18, 2026
A Modified Lean and Release Technique to Emphasize Response Inhibition and Action Selection in Reactive Balance
Published on: March 19, 2020
Cognitive load affects lower limb force-time relations during voluntary rapid stepping in healthy old and young
Itshak Melzer1, D G Liebermann, T Krasovsky
1Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel.
Background:
Quick step execution may prevent falls when balance is lost; adding a concurrent task delays this function. We investigate whether push-off force-time relations during the execution of rapid voluntary stepping is affected by a secondary task in older and young adults.
Methods:
Nineteen healthy older adults and 12 young adults performed rapid voluntary stepping under single- and dual-task conditions. Peak power, peak force, and time to peak force during preparatory and swing phases of stepping were extracted from center of pressure and ground reaction force data.
Results:
For dual-task condition compared with single-task condition, older adults show a longer time to reach peak force during the preparation and swing phases compared with young adults (approximately 25% vs approximately 10%, respectively). Peak power and peak force were not affected by a concurrent attention-demanding task.
Conclusion:
Older adults have difficulty allocating sufficient attention for fast muscle recruitment when concurrently challenged by an attention-demanding task.
