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Increasing cognitive load attenuates right arm swing in healthy human walking
Tim Killeen1, Christopher S Easthope1, Linard Filli2
1Spinal Cord Injury Center , University Hospital Balgrist , Forchstrasse 340, 8008 Zurich , Switzerland.
Royal Society Open Science
|March 11, 2017
Summary
Cognitive tasks increase arm swing asymmetry in older adults by reducing right arm movement. This highlights the brain's role in walking and reveals gender differences in locomotor control.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Biomechanics
- Human Locomotion
Background:
- Human arm swing during walking appears automated but involves higher brain centers.
- Cognitive tasks can disrupt arm swing, leading to asymmetry, but the mechanisms are not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the lateralization of cognitive-motor interference on arm swing during walking.
- To examine age and gender effects on gait asymmetry under dual-task conditions.
Main Methods:
- 83 healthy adults (18-80 years) performed a Stroop word-colour naming task while walking on a treadmill.
- Three-dimensional wrist trajectories were used to quantify arm swing asymmetry.
Main Results:
- Arm swing asymmetry increased significantly in older adults (40-59 and >60 years) under dual-task conditions, primarily due to reduced right arm flexion.
- Women under 60 showed resistance to this asymmetry effect.
Conclusions:
- Right arm swing attenuation is a common response to locomotor-cognitive dual-tasking, confirming significant brain involvement in gait control.
- Unexpected gender differences exist in the hierarchical control of locomotion.
