Simultaneously Measuring Gait and Cognitive Performance in Cognitively Healthy and Cognitively Impaired Older Adults: The Basel Motor-Cognition Dual-Task Paradigm

Cardiovascular fitness is linked to better executive functions, preserved gait speed, and efficient cortical activity. Older adults with cardiovascular risk factors (CVRFs) typically show poor cognitive performance, low physical fitness, and altered brain functioning compared with healthy individuals. In the current study, the impact of regular physical activity on cognition, locomotion, and brain functions was explored in a cohort of older adults with low or high CVRFs. Cortical activation of the frontal areas was investigated using functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) at baseline, at 6 months and at 12 months. Evoked cortical response and behavioral performance were assessed using the dual-task walking paradigm, consisting of three conditions: single cognitive task (2-back task), single walking task (walking), and dual-task (2-back whilst walking). Results show greater task-related cortical response at baseline in individuals with high CVRFs compared to those with low CVRFs. Moreover, participants with high CVRFs benefitted the most from participating in regular physical activity, as their cortical response decreased at the 12-month follow-up and became comparable to that of participants with low CVRFs. These changes were observed in conjunction with improved cognitive performance and stable gait speed throughout the 12-month period in both groups. Our findings provide evidence that participation in regular physical activity may be especially beneficial in individuals with CVRFs by promoting brain and cognitive health, thus potentially contributing to prevention of cognitive decline. Future research may explore whether such effects are maintained in the long-term in order to design ad-hoc interventions in this specific population.

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How Does Physical Demand Affect Cognitive Performance? Interference Between Outdoor Running And Narrative Memory

Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting ◽

10.1177/1541931218621055 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 62 (1) ◽

pp. 237-241

Author(s):

Samantha L. Epling ◽

Graham K. Edgar ◽

Paul N. Russell ◽

William S. Helton

Keyword(s):

High Risk ◽

Task Performance ◽

Cognitive Performance ◽

Real World ◽

Dual Task ◽

Memory Task ◽

Search And Rescue ◽

Dual Tasking ◽

Physical Demand ◽

Dual Task Paradigm

Dual-tasking situations are common in military, firefighting, search and rescue, and other high risk operations. Cognitive and physical demands can occur at the same time, but little is known about the specific demands of real world tasks or how they might interfere with one another. It is well known that attempting simultaneous tasks will divide and divert attention, but to what extent? In this experiment, a narrative memory task was paired with an outdoor running task, and as expected, memory task performance declined when participants were asked to run at the same time. It is suggested that more cognitively demanding physical tasks be used within this dual-task paradigm for a better understanding of the human cognitive resource structure, i.e., how and why certain tasks interfere.

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Muscular Function: An alternative way to identify cognitive impairment, Secondary Analysis From SABE-Colombia

10.21203/rs.3.rs-131443/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Elkin Garcia-Cifuentes ◽

Felipe Botero-Rodríguez ◽

Felipe Ramirez Velandia ◽

Angela Iragorri ◽

Isabel Marquez ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Cognitive Impairment ◽

Cognitive Performance ◽

Motor Function ◽

Gait Speed ◽

Handgrip Strength ◽

Secondary Analysis ◽

Screening Tools ◽

Cognitively Impaired ◽

Recall Memory

Abstract Background Traditionally, the identification of cognitive impairment is based on neuropsychological tests and supported with not widely available biomarkers. This study aimed to establish the association between motor function (Gait Speed and Handgrip Strength) and the performance in a global cognitive performance and various cognitive domains. Our secondary objective was to determine a cut-off point for Gait Speed and Handgrip Strength to classify older adults as cognitively impaired. Methods This is a secondary analysis from the SABE Colombia study (Health, Well-Being, and Aging) conducted in 2015. We performed linear regression models, to establish association with motor function, clinical, and sociodemographic variables, and predict the scores of the Mini-mental State Examination and its domains (i.e. orientation, recall, counting, and language). The evaluation of the motor function variables as an instrument to separate cognitively impaired older adults was evaluated by developing a receiving operating characteristic curve (ROC). Results Gait speed was associated with orientation (r2 = 0.16), language (r2 = 0.15), recall memory (r2 = 0.14) and counting (r2 = 0.08). Similarly, handgrip strength was associated with orientation (r2 = 0.175), language (r2 = 0.164), recall memory (r2 = 0.137), and counting (r2 = 0.08). Slow gait had a cut-off point of 0,59 m/s, with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.629 (0.613–0.646), whereas a weak handgrip strength had an AUC of 0.653 (0.645–0.661), with a cut-off point of 17.50 Kg for separating those older adults with cognitive impairment. Conclusions Gait Speed or Handgrip Strength are similarly associated with cognitive performance, exhibiting the larger associations with orientation and language domains. Gait Speed and Handgrip Strength can be easily performed by any clinician and seems to be useful screening tools to detect cognitive impairment.

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The Association between High Neuroticism-Low Extraversion and Dual-Task Performance during Walking While Talking in Non-demented Older Adults

Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society ◽

10.1017/s1355617715000570 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 21 (7) ◽

pp. 519-530 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Brittany C. LeMonda ◽

Jeannette R. Mahoney ◽

Joe Verghese ◽

Roee Holtzer

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Task Performance ◽

Cognitive Performance ◽

Dual Task ◽

Stress Test ◽

Adverse Outcomes ◽

Task Demands ◽

Gait Velocity ◽

Older Individuals ◽

Dual Task Performance

AbstractThe Walking While Talking (WWT) dual-task paradigm is a mobility stress test that predicts major outcomes, including falls, frailty, disability, and mortality in aging. Certain personality traits, such as neuroticism, extraversion, and their combination, have been linked to both cognitive and motor outcomes. We examined whether individual differences in personality dimensions of neuroticism and extraversion predicted dual-task performance decrements (both motor and cognitive) on a WWT task in non-demented older adults. We hypothesized that the combined effect of high neuroticism-low extraversion would be related to greater dual-task costs in gait velocity and cognitive performance in non-demented older adults. Participants (N=295; age range,=65–95 years; female=164) completed the Big Five Inventory and WWT task involving concurrent gait and a serial 7’s subtraction task. Gait velocity was obtained using an instrumented walkway. The high neuroticism-low extraversion group incurred greater dual-task costs (i.e., worse performance) in both gait velocity {95% confidence interval (CI) [−17.68 to −3.07]} and cognitive performance (95% CI [−19.34 to −2.44]) compared to the low neuroticism-high extraversion group, suggesting that high neuroticism-low extraversion interferes with the allocation of attentional resources to competing task demands during the WWT task. Older individuals with high neuroticism-low extraversion may be at higher risk for falls, mobility decline and other adverse outcomes in aging. (JINS, 2015, 21, 519–530)

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Using a dual‐task paradigm to investigate motor and cognitive performance in children with intellectual disability

Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities ◽

10.1111/jar.12655 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 33 (2) ◽

pp. 172-179

Author(s):

Hiba Kachouri ◽

Rabeb Laatar ◽

Rihab Borji ◽

Haithem Rebai ◽

Sonia Sahli

Keyword(s):

Intellectual Disability ◽

Cognitive Performance ◽

Dual Task ◽

Dual Task Paradigm ◽

Children With Intellectual Disability

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The Applicability of Rhythm-Motor Tasks to a New Dual Task Paradigm for Older Adults

Frontiers in Neurology ◽

10.3389/fneur.2017.00671 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 8 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Soo Ji Kim ◽

Sung-Rae Cho ◽

Ga Eul Yoo

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Dual Task ◽

Motor Tasks ◽

Dual Task Paradigm

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Objective measurement of gait parameters in healthy and cognitively impaired elderly using the dual-task paradigm

Aging Clinical and Experimental Research ◽

10.1007/s40520-016-0703-6 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 29 (6) ◽

pp. 1181-1189 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

Alexandra König ◽

Laura Klaming ◽

Marten Pijl ◽

Alexandre Demeurraux ◽

Renaud David ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Dual Task ◽

Objective Measurement ◽

Cognitively Impaired ◽

Gait Parameters ◽

Dual Task Paradigm

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Glucose administration and cognitive function: differential effects of age and effort during a dual task paradigm in younger and older adults

Psychopharmacology ◽

10.1007/s00213-014-3750-8 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 232 (6) ◽

pp. 1135-1142 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Helen Macpherson ◽

Bernadette Roberstson ◽

Sandra Sünram-Lea ◽

Con Stough ◽

David Kennedy ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Cognitive Function ◽

Dual Task ◽

Glucose Administration ◽

Differential Effects ◽

Dual Task Paradigm

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How Older Adults Cope with Cognitive Complexity and Environmental Constraints during Dual-Task Walking: The Role of Executive Function Involvement

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph16101835 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 16 (10) ◽

pp. 1835 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Roberta Forte ◽

Caterina Pesce ◽

Angela Di Baldassarre ◽

John Shea ◽

Claudia Voelcker-Rehage ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Older Adults ◽

Executive Function ◽

Cognitive Performance ◽

Dual Task ◽

Cognitive Complexity ◽

Cognitive Task ◽

Activity Level ◽

Environmental Constraints

This cross-sectional study investigated the interactive dual-task (DT) effects of executive function demands and environmental constraints on older adults’ walking and the moderating role of habitual physical activity (PA). Locomotor performance under different environmental constraints (flat versus obstructed walking) and cognitive performance with different executive function involvement (backward counting versus random number generation) were assessed under single-task (ST) and DT conditions in 135 participants (mean age 68.1 ± 8.4). The weekly number of daily steps was measured. Reciprocal DT effects of walking on cognitive performance and of the cognitive task on gait performance were computed and submitted to analyses of covariance with age, PA level, and cognitive functioning as covariates, followed by linear regressions with PA level as predictor. Cognitive task demands and environmental constraints individually and jointly affected gait variability (p = 0.033, ηp2 = 0.08) and executive function performance (p = 0.009, ηp2 = 0.09). Physical activity level predicted a low but significant percentage of variance of DT effects on gait only in flat walking (R2 = 0.04, p = 0.027). Results suggest that older individuals may adopt variable task prioritization in dual tasking depending on the type of executive function involvement and the environmental constraints on walking. Their DT ability was slightly affected by habitual PA.

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Effect Of A Dynamic Dual-Task Paradigm And Concussion History On Motor And Cognitive Performance

Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise ◽

10.1249/01.mss.0000561917.54045.0d ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 51 (Supplement) ◽

pp. 471

Author(s):

Maria Talarico ◽

Christopher Ballance ◽

Laura Boucher ◽

James Onate

Keyword(s):

Cognitive Performance ◽

Dual Task ◽

Dual Task Paradigm ◽

Concussion History

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