The role of spatial alignment in posture-cognition dual task interaction

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Neuroscience
• Biomechanics

Background:

• Cognitive tasks can impair postural control, particularly in older adults.
• Spatial cognitive tasks may incur dual-task costs by interfering with visuospatial working memory.
• This interference can reduce the use of external visual information for maintaining balance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if spatial alignment between cognitive and postural tasks affects stability without visual input.
• To determine if this effect differs between age groups and postural challenge.
• To test the hypothesis that spatial alignment impacts postural control independently of task load.

Main Methods:

• Fifty healthy adults (27 young, 23 older) performed a mental navigation task with eyes closed in open or closed stance.
• The cognitive task's reference plane was either aligned or non-aligned with the body's postural control reference plane.
• Postural sway (anteroposterior and mediolateral velocity) and cognitive task performance (accuracy, response time) were measured.

Main Results:

• Older adults were less accurate in the navigation task.
• Both groups exhibited increased sway in closed stance.
• Older adults showed greater anteroposterior sway in non-aligned conditions during challenging stance.

Conclusions:

• Spatial configuration compatibility between cognitive tasks and postural control influences postural stability.
• This effect occurs even without visual information and with unchanged task load.
• Findings highlight the importance of spatial relationships in dual-tasking for balance control, especially in aging.