scholarly journals Effects of Gait and Cognitive Task Difficulty on Cognitive-Motor Interference in Aging

2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Prudence Plummer-D'Amato ◽  
Briana Brancato ◽  
Mallory Dantowitz ◽  
Stephanie Birken ◽  
Christina Bonke ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Dual Task ◽  
Gait Speed ◽  
Task Difficulty ◽  
Cognitive Task ◽  
Task Interference ◽  
Significant Group ◽  
Fast Speed ◽  
Task Effects ◽  
Dual Task Interference

Although gait-related dual-task interference in aging is well established, the effect of gait and cognitive task difficulty on dual-task interference is poorly understood. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of gait and cognitive task difficulty on cognitive-motor interference in aging. Fifteen older adults (72.1 years, SD 5.2) and 20 young adults (21.7 years, SD 1.6) performed three walking tasks of varying difficulty (self-selected speed, fast speed, and fast speed with obstacle crossing) under single- and dual-task conditions. The cognitive tasks were the auditory Stroop task and the clock task. There was a significant Group×Gait Task×Cognitive Task interaction for the dual-task effect on gait speed. After adjusting for education, there were no significant effects of gait or cognitive task difficulty on the dual-task effects on cognitive task performance. The results of this study provide evidence that gait task difficulty influences dual-task effects on gait speed, especially in older adults. Moreover, the effects of gait task difficulty on dual-task interference appear to be influenced by the difficulty of the cognitive task. Education is an important factor influencing cognitive-motor interference effects on cognition, but not gait.

scholarly journals Backward Protective Stepping During Dual-Task Scenarios in People With Parkinson’s Disease: A Pilot Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 34 (8) ◽  
pp. 702-710
Author(s):  
Daniel S. Peterson ◽  
Jordan S. Barajas ◽  
Linda Denney ◽  
Shyamal H. Mehta
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Parkinson’S Disease ◽  
Dual Task ◽  
Cognitive Task ◽  
Cognitive Tasks ◽  
Task Interference ◽  
Healthy Older Adults ◽  
And Control ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Dual Task Interference

Introduction. Reactive movements in response to a loss of balance are altered in people with Parkinson’s disease (PD) and are critical for fall prevention. Further, falls are more common while attention is divided. Although divided attention has been shown to impact postural responses in healthy older adults, the impact of dividing attention on reactive balance, and the natural prioritization across postural and cognitive tasks in people with PD is largely unknown. Objectives. To characterize (1) the impact of a secondary cognitive task on reactive postural control and (2) the prioritization across stepping and cognitive tasks in people with PD. Methods. Sixteen people with PD and 14 age-matched controls underwent step-inducing, support-surface perturbations from stance, with and without an auditory Stroop secondary cognitive task. Cognitive, neuromuscular, and protective stepping performance were calculated for single and dual task scenarios. Results. In PD and control participants, cognitive reaction times ( P = .001) and muscle onset latency ( P = .007), but not protective step outcomes ( P > .12 for all) were worse during dual tasking compared with single-task scenarios. Both PD and control groups prioritized the protective stepping task over the cognitive task. Overall, people with PD exhibited worse first-step margin of stability (a measure of protective step performance) than controls ( P = .044). Conclusion. This study provides preliminary evidence that people with PD, like age-matched controls, exhibit cognitive and neuromuscular, but not protective step, dual-task interference. The lack of dual-task interference on step performance indicates a postural prioritization for PD and healthy older adults during dual-task protective stepping.

Video game and motor-cognitive dual-task training could be suitable treatments to improve dual-task interference in older adults

2021 ◽  
pp. 136099
Author(s):  
Hossein Bagheri ◽  
Roya Khanmohammadi ◽  
Gholamreza Olyaei ◽  
Saeed Talebian ◽  
Mohammad Reza Hadian ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Video Game ◽  
Dual Task ◽  
Task Interference ◽  
Task Training ◽  
Dual Task Training ◽  
Dual Task Interference

scholarly journals Effects of cognitive and motor dual-tasks on oropharyngeal swallowing assessed with FEES in healthy individuals

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul Muhle ◽  
Inga Claus ◽  
Bendix Labeit ◽  
Mao Ogawa ◽  
Rainer Dziewas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dual Task ◽  
Neurological Diseases ◽  
Early Screening ◽  
Task Interference ◽  
Dual Task Condition ◽  
Therapeutic Implications ◽  
Task Effects ◽  
Post Hoc ◽  
Management Of Dysphagia ◽  
Dual Task Interference

AbstractDysphagia is frequent in many neurological diseases and gives rise to severe complications such as malnutrition, dehydration and aspiration pneumonia. Therefore, early detection and management of dysphagia is essential and can reduce mortality. This study investigated the effect of cognitive and motor dual-task interference on swallowing in healthy participants, as dual-task effects are reported for other motor tasks such as gait and speech. 27 participants (17 females; 29.2 ± 4.1 years) were included in this prospective study and examined using flexible endoscopic evaluation of swallowing (FEES). Using a previously established FEES-based score, the paradigms “baseline swallowing”, “cognitive dual-task” and “motor dual-task” were assessed. Scores of the three paradigms were compared using a repetitive measures ANOVA and post-hoc analysis. Mean baseline swallowing score in single task was 5 ± 3. It worsened to 6 ± 5 in the cognitive (p = 0.118), and to 8 ± 5 in the motor dual-task condition (p < 0.001). This change was driven by subclinical worsening of premature bolus spillage and pharyngeal residue. Oropharyngeal swallowing is not exclusively reflexive in nature but requires attention, which leads to motor dual-task interference. This has potential diagnostic and therapeutic implications, e.g. in the early screening for dysphagia or in avoiding dual-task situations while eating.

scholarly journals Dual-task interference during obstacle clearance in healthy and balance-impaired older adults

2008 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 349-354 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ka-Chun Siu ◽  
Vipul Lugade ◽  
Li-Shan Chou ◽  
Paul van Donkelaar ◽  
Marjorie H. Woollacott
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Dual Task ◽  
Task Interference ◽  
Obstacle Clearance ◽  
Dual Task Interference

The Role of Attention in Vestibular Processing

2002 ◽  
Vol 46 (3) ◽  
pp. 255-259 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael E. Talkowski ◽  
Mark S. Redfern ◽  
J. Richard Jennings ◽  
Joseph M. Furman
Keyword(s):  
Information Processing ◽  
Cognitive Processing ◽  
Dual Task ◽  
Cognitive Task ◽  
Vestibular Stimulation ◽  
Task Interference ◽  
Vestibular Loss ◽  
Ocular Reflex ◽  
Secondary Information ◽  
Dual Task Interference

This study investigated the hypothesis that vestibular processing is facilitated by attention, and that suppression of the vestibule-ocular reflex will lead to dual-task interference in a secondary information processing task. Twelve patients with surgically confirmed absent unilateral vestibular function and twelve healthy age-matched controls participated in this study. All subjects underwent vestibular stimulation through two different types of rotational conditions, one a semicircular canal stimulus and the other an otolith stimulus, two different visual conditions (darkness and fixation of a laser point) and pursuit tracking of a moving laser point. Subjects also performed one of three different secondary information processing tasks (IPT) while undergoing the vestibular condition. The results of this study showed that dual-task interference occurs during vestibular stimulation in both patients and healthy controls, and this interference was more pronounced in patients during more complex IPTs. The results also found no overall difference in performance of a secondary cognitive task when subjects suppressed the vestibule-ocular reflex by fixating during rotation. These results may suggest that cognitive processing is a necessary component for integration of vestibular information, and this requirement may be greater in patients with unilateral vestibular loss.

Improving Sensitivity to Detect Mild Cognitive Impairment: Cognitive Load Dual-Task Gait Speed Assessment

2017 ◽  
Vol 23 (6) ◽  
pp. 493-501 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca K. MacAulay ◽  
Mark T. Wagner ◽  
Dana Szeles ◽  
Nicholas J. Milano
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Mild Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Cognitive Load ◽  
Dual Task ◽  
Gait Speed ◽  
Cognitive Task ◽  
Executive Attention ◽  
Sensitive Measure ◽  
Gait Assessment

AbstractObjectives: Longitudinal research indicates that cognitive load dual-task gait assessment is predictive of cognitive decline and thus might provide a sensitive measure to screen for mild cognitive impairment (MCI). However, research among older adults being clinically evaluated for cognitive concerns, a defining feature of MCI, is lacking. The present study investigated the effect of performing a cognitive task on normal walking speed in patients presenting to a memory clinic with cognitive complaints. Methods: Sixty-one patients with a mean age of 68 years underwent comprehensive neuropsychological testing, clinical interview, and gait speed (simple- and dual-task conditions) assessments. Thirty-four of the 61 patients met criteria for MCI. Results: Repeated measure analyses of covariance revealed that greater age and MCI both significantly associated with slower gait speed, ps<.05. Follow-up analysis indicated that the MCI group had significantly slower dual-task gait speed but did not differ in simple-gait speed. Multivariate linear regression across groups found that executive attention performance accounted for 27.4% of the variance in dual-task gait speed beyond relevant demographic and health risk factors. Conclusions: The present study increases the external validity of dual-task gait assessment of MCI. Differences in dual-task gait speed appears to be largely attributable to executive attention processes. These findings have clinical implications as they demonstrate expected patterns of gait-brain behavior relationships in response to a cognitive dual task within a clinically representative population. Cognitive load dual-task gait assessment may provide a cost efficient and sensitive measure to detect older adults at high risk of a dementia disorder. (JINS, 2017, 23, 493–501)

scholarly journals Task matters: an investigation on the effect of different secondary tasks on dual-task gait in older adults

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hui-Ting Goh ◽  
Miranda Pearce ◽  
Asha Vas
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
Reaction Time ◽  
Dual Task ◽  
Gait Speed ◽  
Cognitive Task ◽  
Cognitive Tasks ◽  
Difficulty Level ◽  
Secondary Tasks ◽  
Task Conditions

Abstract Background Dual-task gait performance declines as humans age, leading to increased fall risk among older adults. It is unclear whether different secondary cognitive tasks mediate age-related decline in dual-task gait. This study aimed to examine how type and difficulty level of the secondary cognitive tasks differentially affect dual-task gait in older adults. Methods Twenty young and twenty older adults participated in this single-session study. We employed four different types of secondary tasks and each consisted of two difficulty levels, yielding eight different dual-task conditions. The dual-task conditions included walking and 1) counting backward by 3 s or by 7 s; 2) remembering a 5-item or 7-item lists; 3) responding to a simple or choice reaction time tasks; 4) generating words from single or alternated categories. Gait speed and cognitive task performance under single- and dual-task conditions were used to compute dual-task cost (DTC, %) with a greater DTC indicating a worse performance. Results A significant three-way interaction was found for the gait speed DTC (p = .04). Increased difficulty in the reaction time task significantly increased gait speed DTC for older adults (p = .01) but not for young adults (p = .90). In contrast, increased difficulty level in the counting backward task significantly increased gait speed DTC for young adults (p = .03) but not for older adults (p = .85). Both groups responded similarly to the increased task difficulty in the other two tasks. Conclusions Older adults demonstrated a different response to dual-task challenges than young adults. Aging might have different impacts on various cognitive domains and result in distinctive dual-task gait interference patterns.

scholarly journals How Does Explicit Prioritization Alter Walking During Dual-Task Performance? Effects of Age and Sex on Gait Speed and Variability

2010 ◽  
Vol 90 (2) ◽  
pp. 177-186 ◽  
Author(s):  
Galit Yogev-Seligmann ◽  
Yael Rotem-Galili ◽  
Anat Mirelman ◽  
Ruth Dickstein ◽  
Nir Giladi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
Dual Task ◽  
Gait Speed ◽  
Cognitive Task ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Gait Variability ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Task Conditions

BackgroundPrevious studies have demonstrated that the performance of a secondary task during walking alters gait.ObjectiveThis study investigated the effects of task prioritization on walking in young and older adults to evaluate the “default” prioritization scheme used, the flexibility to alter prioritization and cortical resources allocated to gait and a secondary cognitive task, and any age-associated changes in these abilities.DesignA cross-sectional study that explicitly altered the focus of attention was used to investigate the effects of prioritization in young and older adults who were healthy.MethodsGait speed and gait variability were evaluated in young adults (n=40) and older adults (n=17) who were healthy, both during usual walking and under 3 dual-task conditions: (1) no specific prioritization instructions, (2) prioritization of gait, and (3) prioritization of the cognitive task.ResultsYoung adults significantly increased gait speed in the gait prioritization condition compared with gait speed in the no-instruction condition; a similar tendency was seen in the older adults. Gait speed was reduced when priority was given to the cognitive task in both age groups; however, this effect was less dramatic in the older adults. In the young adults, prioritization of gait tended to have different effects on gait speed among both men and women. In the older adults, but not in the young adults, all dual-task conditions produced increased gait variability, whereas prioritization did not alter this gait feature.LimitationsThe sample size and the relative homogeneity of the older adults could be considered as possible limitations of the study.ConclusionsEven among young adults, the effects of secondary, cognitive tasks on gait speed are strongly influenced by prioritization. This finding was less significant in the older adults, suggesting that there is an age-associated decline in the ability to flexibly allocate attention to gait. Somewhat surprisingly, when prioritization was not explicitly instructed, gait speed in both young and older adults most closely resembled that of the condition when they were instructed to focus attention on the cognitive task.

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