Article

While cognitive-motor interference in dual-task activities is well established,
it is still unknown how such interference is influenced by concurrent visual
challenges. Nineteen community-dwelling healthy, cognitively intact, older adults
(Mean+/-SD=71.45+/-1.25years, 6 males) and nineteen young adults
(Mean+/-SD=22.25+/-0.68years, 4 males) performed a cognitive-single-task (serial
subtraction by 3), a walking-single-task and a cognitive-walking-dual-task under
normal, blurred and peripheral-vision-loss conditions (artificially imposed using
goggles). Gait parameters and the number of correct responses were measured. Dual
task costs for both walking and cognition were computed. Results showed that
higher walking cost was seen with impaired vision (p=0.05) and with older adults
(p=0.03); greater cognitive cost was seen with impaired vision (p=0.01), but no
difference in cognitive cost was seen between young and older adults. Thus, when
faced with impaired vision, both young and older adults appear to allocate less
attention to cognition than to walking, and thus prioritize walking. Future work
should explore whether dual-task training under visual challenge could reduce
cognitive-motor interference and reduce fall risks in older adults.
CI - Copyright (c) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Langue : ANGLAIS