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Compromised Brain Activity With Age During a Game-Like Dynamic Balance Task: Single- vs. Dual-Task Performance
Veerle de Rond1, Diego Orcioli-Silva2, Bauke Wybren Dijkstra1
1Neuromotor Rehabilitation Research Group, Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience
|July 22, 2021
Summary
Older adults exhibit more compromised neural activity than younger adults when balancing with cognitive distraction. This age-related decline in neural flexibility impacts performance during dual-tasking challenges.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Gerontology
- Biomechanics
Background:
- Aging impacts both postural control and cognitive functions.
- Cognitive distraction can affect balance, particularly in older adults.
- Understanding age-related differences in neural responses to dual-tasking is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate age-related differences in neural activity during a cognitively demanding balance task.
- To examine how cognitive distraction affects postural control and cortical activity in young versus older adults.
- To explore the neural mechanisms underlying age-related performance decrements in dual-task scenarios.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a game-like mediolateral weight-shifting task with cognitive distraction (serial subtractions).
- Employed a motion analysis system to measure center of mass position.
- Assessed cortical activity using functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) to measure oxygenated hemoglobin (HbO2) in key brain regions.
Main Results:
- Older adults showed greater performance decrements (fewer wasp-hits) than young adults under dual-task conditions.
- Older adults exhibited reduced oxygenated hemoglobin (HbO2) in the left pre-frontal cortex (PFC) and frontal eye fields (FEF) during dual-tasking compared to single-tasking.
- Relative reductions in HbO2 during dual-tasking were observed in specific brain regions (left PMC, right SMA, left FEF) in older adults, suggesting compromised neural activity.
Conclusions:
- Older adults demonstrate more compromised neural activity than young adults when faced with a challenging balance task combined with cognitive distraction.
- These findings suggest a 'competitive downgrading' of neural resources in older adults, contributing to age-related performance decline during dual-tasking.
- Future research should explore interventions to enhance neural flexibility in older adults for improved balance during daily activities.
