Dual-task costs while walking in old age
Author Information
Author(s): Otmar Bock
Primary Institution: Institute of Physiology and Anatomy, German Sport University, Köln, Germany
Hypothesis
Does age-related dual-task deficit (ARD) while walking emerge for some tasks but not for others?
Conclusion
Elderly individuals experience greater dual-task costs when walking and performing visually demanding tasks, which may contribute to falls.
Supporting Evidence
- Older subjects performed less well than younger ones in all tasks.
- Visual demand of non-walking tasks significantly affected dual-task costs.
- Elderly individuals had larger dual-task costs than younger individuals, particularly in visually demanding tasks.
Takeaway
Older people can have a harder time walking and doing something else at the same time, especially if they need to look at something while doing it.
Methodology
Healthy young and elderly subjects were tested under various combinations of walking and non-walking tasks to evaluate dual-task costs.
Potential Biases
Potential bias due to the self-selection of participants who were healthy and lived independently.
Limitations
The study may not generalize to elderly individuals with cognitive or sensorimotor deficits.
Participant Demographics
18 younger subjects (average age 24.3) and 15 older subjects (average age 67.2), with equal gender distribution.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.001
Statistical Significance
p<0.001
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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