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Effects of gait and cognitive task difficulty on cognitive-motor interference in aging
Prudence Plummer-D'Amato1, Briana Brancato, Mallory Dantowitz
1Department of Physical Therapy, Northeastern University, 360 Huntington Avenue, 6 Robinson Hall, Boston, MA 02115-5000, USA.
Journal of Aging Research
|December 5, 2012
Summary
Gait task difficulty significantly impacts dual-task interference on walking speed in older adults, especially when combined with challenging cognitive tasks. Education level also plays a role in cognitive-motor interference.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Gerontology
- Biomechanics
Background:
- Dual-task interference, where performing two tasks simultaneously impairs performance, is a known issue in aging, particularly affecting gait.
- The specific influence of varying gait and cognitive task difficulties on this interference in older adults remains unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how gait task difficulty and cognitive task difficulty affect cognitive-motor interference in aging adults.
- To compare dual-task performance between older and younger adults under different task conditions.
Main Methods:
- Fifteen older adults and 20 young adults completed walking tasks (self-selected speed, fast speed, fast speed with obstacle crossing) under single- and dual-task conditions.
- Cognitive tasks included the auditory Stroop task and the clock task.
- Interference was measured by changes in gait speed and cognitive performance.
Main Results:
- A significant interaction was found between group, gait task difficulty, and cognitive task difficulty on dual-task effects on gait speed.
- Gait task difficulty notably influenced dual-task interference on gait speed, particularly in older adults.
- Cognitive task difficulty also moderated the impact of gait difficulty on dual-task interference.
- After accounting for education, gait or cognitive task difficulty did not significantly affect dual-task effects on cognitive performance.
Conclusions:
- Gait task difficulty is a key factor influencing dual-task interference on gait speed in older adults.
- The interplay between gait and cognitive task difficulty affects dual-task interference.
- Education is a significant covariate for cognitive-motor interference effects on cognition, but not on gait performance.
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