Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 29, 2026
08:04
Using a Split-belt Treadmill to Evaluate Generalization of Human Locomotor Adaptation
Published on: August 23, 2017
8.8K
Age-related forgetting in locomotor adaptation
Laura A Malone1, Amy J Bastian2
1Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States; The Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, United States.
Neurobiology of Learning and Memory
|November 22, 2015
Summary
Healthy aging impacts motor memory. Older adults learn new walking patterns like younger adults but forget more during rest, even with cognitive tasks, indicating aging weakens motor memories.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Motor Control
- Human Aging
Background:
- The aging process impacts cognitive functions, including learning and memory.
- Motor learning can be negatively affected by non-motor factors like cognitive load.
- Understanding age-related changes in motor memory consolidation is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how age and cognitive load affect the learning and forgetting of a new walking pattern.
- To determine if older adults' increased forgetting during rest is due to reliance on cognitive strategies.
Main Methods:
- Studied healthy younger (<30 years) and older (>50 years) adults.
- Utilized split-belt treadmill walking with alternating rest periods.
- Assessed motor memory retention under single-task and dual-task (cognitive) conditions.
Main Results:
- Older adults learned a new walking pattern at a similar rate to younger adults.
- Older adults exhibited significant forgetting of the learned pattern during rest breaks.
- Performing a dual cognitive task did not prevent older adults from forgetting the walking pattern during rest.
Conclusions:
- Healthy aging is a factor that weakens motor memories during rest periods.
- The forgetting phenomenon in older adults during rest is not solely explained by reliance on conscious cognitive strategies.
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