Age-related changes in gaze sampling strategies during obstacle navigation

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Cognitive Neuroscience
• Biomechanics

Background:

• Coordinated gaze and body movement are crucial for navigating complex environments.
• Multitasking, such as conversing or searching for landmarks, complicates navigation.
• Limited research exists on how aging and multitasking impact gaze during obstacle navigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate differences in gaze patterns between young and older adults during obstacle navigation under dual-task conditions.
• To compare gaze strategies when performing single-task versus dual-task navigation.

Main Methods:

• 17 young and 17 older adults navigated around obstacles in single-task and dual-task (backward counting or visual search) conditions.
• Gaze patterns, including spatial-temporal gaze to obstacles relative to body position, were quantified.
• Fixation frequency and duration to obstacles, route-planning features, and landmarks were analyzed.

Main Results:

• Older adults shifted gaze away from obstacles earlier and contacted obstacles more frequently than young adults.
• Gaze fixation proportions to obstacles did not differ significantly between age groups.
• Older adults allocated more gaze to landmarks in dual-task conditions, potentially at the expense of route planning.

Conclusions:

• Older adults employ distinct gaze strategies and face greater challenges during dual-task obstacle navigation compared to young adults.
• Deficits in visual working memory and/or divided attention likely contribute to observed age-related differences.
• Findings highlight the impact of cognitive load on sensorimotor control in aging populations.