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Prefrontal Cortex Involvement during Dual-Task Stair Climbing in Healthy Older Adults: An fNIRS Study
Talia Salzman1, Ahmed Aboualmagd2, Hawazin Badawi3
1School of Human Kinetics, Faculty of Health Science, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1N 7K4, Canada.
Brain Sciences
|January 12, 2021
Summary
Older adults show increased prefrontal brain activity and slower cognitive responses during dual-task stair climbing, indicating reduced executive function efficiency. Gait performance remained stable, suggesting compensatory mechanisms may precede noticeable declines.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Gerontology
- Biomechanics
Background:
- Aging is associated with declines in executive function and motor control, impacting gait.
- The neural basis of executive function and motor control interactions during complex tasks like stair climbing in older adults is not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the neural correlates of executive function during single-task and dual-task stair climbing in older adults.
- To examine the relationship between prefrontal hemodynamic responses, cognitive performance, and gait parameters during stair negotiation.
Main Methods:
- Twenty older adults performed single and dual tasks involving cognitive response and stair climbing.
- Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) measured prefrontal hemodynamic responses (∆HbO2, ∆HbR).
- In-shoe smart insoles recorded gait speed, and vocal response time and accuracy were measured.
Main Results:
- Dual-tasking significantly increased prefrontal oxygenated hemoglobin (∆HbO2) and slowed cognitive response times compared to single-tasking.
- No significant differences were observed in deoxygenated hemoglobin (∆HbR), gait speed, or accuracy between single and dual tasks.
- Increased ∆HbO2 and slower response times suggest reduced executive efficiency during dual-task stair climbing.
Conclusions:
- Executive function becomes less efficient under dual-task conditions during stair climbing in older adults.
- Despite cognitive load, gait speed and accuracy were maintained, hinting at neural adaptations.
- Future research should explore more challenging cognitive tasks to reveal subtle neural differences and predict performance decline in aging adults.
