Article

This study compared the effects of spontaneous speech and executive function on
gait and investigated the effects of single-task gait speed on dual-task costs.
Twenty-one older adults (74.7 years, SD 5.9) and 23 younger adults (22 years, SD
1.2) walked for 60s while performing an auditory Stroop task and a spontaneous
speech task; they also performed each task in isolation. Walking while talking
significantly reduced gait speed in both groups; however, only older adults
experienced significant cognitive-motor interference during the Stroop task.
Stride duration variability and gait symmetry were also affected by the speech
task in older but not younger adults. Dual-task costs on gait speed were greater
in slow-walking older adults than fast walkers. These results demonstrate that
spontaneous speech is a highly demanding task that has a profound impact on gait
in older adults, especially those with gait speed <1 m/s.
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Langue : ANGLAIS