scholarly journals Dual-Task Walking in Challenging Environments in People with Stroke: Cognitive-Motor Interference and Task Prioritization

2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Celine Timmermans ◽  
Melvyn Roerdink ◽  
Thomas W. J. Janssen ◽  
Carel G. M. Meskers ◽  
Peter J. Beek
Keyword(s):  
Dual Task ◽  
Repeated Measures ◽  
Motor Performance ◽  
Cognitive Task ◽  
Repeated Measures Design ◽  
Physical Context ◽  
Cognitive Task Performance ◽  
Task Prioritization ◽  
Walking Environment ◽  
And Task

Cognitive-motor interference may contribute to the risk of falling in people with stroke, as may be the associated phenomenon of inappropriate task prioritization. Examining dual-task walking could provide valuable insights as to how to best evaluate and treat walking in people with stroke. This study aimed to examine the effect of different walking environments on cognitive-motor interference and task prioritization in dual-task walking in people with stroke. Using a repeated-measures design, cognitive-motor interference and task prioritization were assessed in 30 stroke survivors, while walking in a plain environment and in two challenging environments that were enriched with either stationary physical context or suddenly appearing projector-augmented context. All three walking environment conditions were performed with and without a concurrent serial-3 subtraction task. We found stronger cognitive-motor interference for the two challenging environments than for the plain walking environment. Cognitive-motor interference did not differ between challenging walking environments, but task prioritization did: motor performance was prioritized more in the environment with physical context than in the environment with projector-augmented context and vice versa for cognitive-task performance. In conclusion, walking environment strongly influenced cognitive-motor interference and task prioritization during dual-task walking in people with stroke.

scholarly journals Dual task prioritization during overground and treadmill walking

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
James Graeme Wrightson ◽  
Nicholas J Smeeton ◽  
lisa Schäfer
Keyword(s):  
Task Performance ◽  
Dual Task ◽  
Cognitive Task ◽  
Treadmill Walking ◽  
Time Variability ◽  
Overground Walking ◽  
Task Effect ◽  
Cognitive Task Performance ◽  
Walking Performance ◽  
Task Prioritization

AbstractBackgroundThe dual-task effect on walking performance is different during treadmill and overground walking, though the cause of this difference is unknown. This study examined the effects of task prioritization on overground and treadmill dual-task walking. MethodTwenty-two adults walked overground and on a treadmill under three dual-task conditions: prioritization of walking performance, prioritization of cognitive performance, or no prioritization. ResultsCompared to single-task walking, stride velocity was reduced and stride time variability was increased during dual-task overground walking. During treadmill walking, there was no dual-task effect on walking performance, but cognitive task performance was improved. Prioritization of the cognitive task reduced the dual-task effect on stride velocity during overground walking only, whilst prioritization of the walking task reduced cognitive task performance in both walking modalities. SignificanceThese results corroborate recent findings that the dual-task effects on treadmill walking are not equivalent to those on overground walking. Healthy adults appear to prioritize cognitive task performance during dual-task walking. However, the effects of this prioritization on dual-task performance depend on the walking modality.

Evaluation of the effects of adding vibrotactile feedback to myoelectric prosthesis users on performance and visual attention in a dual-task paradigm

2018 ◽  
Vol 32 (10) ◽  
pp. 1308-1316 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eitan Raveh ◽  
Jason Friedman ◽  
Sigal Portnoy
Keyword(s):  
Visual Attention ◽  
Dual Task ◽  
Repeated Measures ◽  
Gaze Behavior ◽  
Vibrotactile Feedback ◽  
Myoelectric Prosthesis ◽  
Repeated Measures Design ◽  
Performance Time ◽  
Dual Task Paradigm ◽  
Improved Performance

Objective: To evaluate the effects of adding vibrotactile feedback to myoelectric prosthesis users on the performance time and visual attention in a dual-task paradigm. Design: A repeated-measures design with a counterbalanced order of two conditions. Setting: Laboratory setting. Subjects: Transradial amputees using a myoelectric prosthesis with normal or corrected eyesight ( N = 12, median age = 65 ± 13 years). Exclusion criteria were orthopedic or neurologic problems. Interventions: Subjects performed grasping tasks with their prosthesis, while controlling a virtual car on a road with their intact hand. The dual task was performed twice: with and without vibrotactile feedback. Main measures: Performance time of each of the grasping tasks and gaze behavior, measured by the number of times the subjects shifted their gaze toward their hand, the relative time they applied their attention to the screen, and percentage of error in the secondary task. Results: The mean performance time was significantly shorter ( P = 0.024) when using vibrotactile feedback (93.2 ± 9.6 seconds) compared with the performance time measured when vibrotactile feedback was not available (107.8 ± 20.3 seconds). No significant differences were found between the two conditions in the number of times the gaze shifted from the screen to the hand, in the time the subjects applied their attention to the screen, and in the time the virtual car was off-road, as a percentage of the total game time (51.4 ± 15.7 and 50.2 ± 19.5, respectively). Conclusion: Adding vibrotactile feedback improved performance time during grasping in a dual-task paradigm. Prosthesis users may use vibrotactile feedback to perform better during daily tasks, when multiple cognitive demands are present.

scholarly journals EXPRESS: Stimulus novelty, task demands, and strategy use in episodic memory

2020 ◽  
pp. 174702182098030
Author(s):  
Otto Waris ◽  
Daniel Fellman ◽  
Jussi Jylkkä ◽  
Matti Laine
Keyword(s):  
Episodic Memory ◽  
Task Performance ◽  
Recall Performance ◽  
Cognitive Task ◽  
Memory Performance ◽  
Memory Task ◽  
Strategy Use ◽  
Skill Learning ◽  
Cognitive Task Performance ◽  
And Task

Cognitive task performance is a dynamic process that evolves over time, starting from the first encounters with a task. An important aspect of these task dynamics is the employment of strategies to support successful performance and task acquisition. Focusing on episodic memory performance, we: (1) tested two hypotheses on the effects of novelty and task difficulty on strategy use; (2) replicated our previous results regarding strategy use in a novel memory task; and (3) evaluated whether repeated open-ended strategy queries affect task performance and/or strategy use. The present pre-registered online study comprised 161 adult participants who were recruited through the Prolific crowdsourcing platform. We employed two separate 5-block list learning tasks, one with 10 pseudowords and the other with 18 common nouns, and collected recall performance and strategy reports for each block. Using Bayesian linear mixed effects models, the present findings (1) provide some support for the hypothesis that task-initial strategy development is not triggered only by task novelty, but can appear also in a familiar, moderately demanding task; (2) replicate earlier findings from an adaptive working memory task indicating strategy use from the beginning of a task, associations between strategy use and objective task performance, and only modest agreement between open-ended vs. list-based strategy reports; and (3) indicate that repeated open-ended strategy reports do not affect objective recall. We conclude that strategy use is an important aspect of memory performance right from the start of a task, and it undergoes development at the initial stages depending on task characteristics. In a larger perspective, the present results concur with the views of skill learning and adaptivity in cognitive task performance.

scholarly journals The effects of a concurrent task on walking in persons with transfemoral amputation compared to persons without limb loss

2015 ◽  
Vol 40 (4) ◽  
pp. 490-496 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara J Morgan ◽  
Brian J Hafner ◽  
Valerie E Kelly
Keyword(s):  
Dual Task ◽  
Repeated Measures ◽  
Cognitive Task ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Concurrent Task ◽  
Limb Loss ◽  
Transfemoral Amputation ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Time Asymmetry ◽  
Single Task

Background:Many people with lower limb loss report the need to concentrate on walking. This may indicate increased reliance on cognitive resources when walking compared to individuals without limb loss.Objective:This study quantified changes in walking associated with addition of a concurrent cognitive task in persons with transfemoral amputation using microprocessor knees compared to age- and sex-matched controls.Study design:Observational, cross-sectional study.Methods:Quantitative motion analysis was used to assess walking under both single-task (walking alone) and dual-task (walking while performing a cognitive task) conditions. Primary outcomes were walking speed, step width, step time asymmetry, and cognitive task response latency and accuracy. Repeated-measures analysis of variance was used to examine the effects of task (single-task and dual-task) and group (transfemoral amputation and control) for each outcome.Results:No significant interactions between task and group were observed (all p > 0.11) indicating that a cognitive task did not differentially affect walking between groups. However, walking was slower with wider steps and more asymmetry in people with transfemoral amputation compared to controls under both conditions.Conclusion:Although there were significant differences in walking between people with transfemoral amputation and matched controls, the effects of a concurrent cognitive task on walking were similar between groups.Clinical relevanceThe addition of a concurrent task did not differentially affect walking outcomes in people with and without transfemoral amputation. However, compared to people without limb loss, people with transfemoral amputation adopted a conservative walking strategy. This strategy may reduce the need to concentrate on walking but also contributed to notable gait deviations.

scholarly journals The Effect of Different Types of Walking on Dual-Task Performance and Task Prioritization among Community-Dwelling Older Adults

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maayan Agmon ◽  
Einat Kodesh ◽  
Rachel Kizony
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Task Performance ◽  
Dual Task ◽  
Cognitive Task ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Cognitive Tasks ◽  
Dual Task Performance ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Task Prioritization ◽  
Community Dwelling Older Adults

Background. The ability to safely conduct different types of walking concurrently with a cognitive task (i.e., dual task) is crucial for daily life. The contribution of different walking types to dual-task performance has not yet been determined, nor is there agreement on the strategies that older adults use to divide their attention between two tasks (task prioritization).Objectives. To compare the effect of walking in three different directions (forward, backward, and sideways) on dual-task performance and to explore the strategies of older adults to allocate their attention in response to different motor task demands.Design. A cross-sectional study.Subjects. Thirty-two (22 female) community-dwelling older adults (aged72.7±5.7years).Methods. Subjects randomly conducted single and dual task: walking to three directions separately, cognitive tasks separately, and combination of the two.Results. Walking forward was the least demanding task, during single (FW < BW, SW) (P<.001) and dual tasks (FW < BW < SW) (P<.001). The calculation of DTC revealed the same pattern (P<.001). DTC of the cognitive tasks was not significantly different among the three walking types.Conclusions. The decline mainly in the motor performance during dual task indicates that participants prioritized the cognitive task. These findings challenge the “posture first” paradigm for task prioritization.

Effects of 3D Auditory Display on Dual Task Performance in a Simulated Multiscreen Watchstation Environment

2002 ◽  
Vol 46 (17) ◽  
pp. 1570-1573 ◽  
Author(s):  
Derek Brock ◽  
Janet L. Stroup ◽  
James A. Ballas
Keyword(s):  
User Interfaces ◽  
Dual Task ◽  
Repeated Measures ◽  
Tracking Task ◽  
Head Movements ◽  
Decision Task ◽  
Auditory Display ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Repeated Measures Design ◽  
Tactical Decision

It is anticipated that watchstation operators in future U. S. Navy command and control environments will work in multitask settings that raise substantial performance and attention management challenges for user interfaces. To evaluate the capacity of an auditory display to contribute to the resolution of these concerns, we constructed a mockup of the Navy's current advanced multi-modal watchstation design and conducted a dual-task experiment that manipulated the visual distance between the task displays and the use of spatialized sound to direct attention (auditory deixis). Subjects in the repeated measures design were asked to carry out a continuous tracking task and a tactical decision task at the same time. Deictic sound had significant, positive effects on subjects' performance on the tactical task—response times were improved and there were fewer head movements. Furthermore, these benefits were achieved with no loss in tactical decision accuracy and no degradation in performance on the tracking task.

scholarly journals Balance Performance With a Cognitive Task: A Continuation of the Dual-Task Testing Paradigm

2011 ◽  
Vol 46 (2) ◽  
pp. 170-175 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacob E. Resch ◽  
Bryson May ◽  
Phillip D. Tomporowski ◽  
Michael S. Ferrara
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Processing ◽  
Dual Task ◽  
Repeated Measures ◽  
Cognitive Task ◽  
Return To Play ◽  
Sensory Organization Test ◽  
Sensory Organization ◽  
Balance Task ◽  
Visual Reference ◽  
Task Conditions

Abstract Context: To ensure that concussed athletes return to play safely, we need better methods of measuring concussion severity and monitoring concussion resolution. Objective: To develop a dual-task model that assesses postural stability and cognitive processing in concussed athletes. Design: Repeated measures study. Setting: University laboratory. Patients or Other Participants: Twenty healthy, college-aged students (10 men, 10 women; age  =  20 ± 1.86 years, height  =  173 ± 4.10 cm, mass  =  71.83 + 35.77 kg). Intervention(s): Participants were tested individually in 2 sessions separated by 2 days. In one session, a balance task and a cognitive task were performed separately. In the other session, the balance and cognitive tasks were performed concurrently. The balance task consisted of 6 conditions of the Sensory Organization Test performed on the NeuroCom Smart Balance Master. The cognitive task consisted of an auditory switch task (3 trials per condition, 60 seconds per trial). Main Outcome Measure(s): For the balance test, scores for each Sensory Organization Test condition; the visual, vestibular, somatosensory, and visual-conflict subscores; and the composite balance score were calculated. For the cognitive task, response time and accuracy were measured. Results: Balance improved during 2 dual-task conditions: fixed support and fixed visual reference (t18  =  −2.34, P &lt; .05) and fixed support and sway visual reference (t18  =  −2.72, P  =  .014). Participants' response times were longer (F1,18  =  67.77, P &lt; .001, η2  =  0.79) and choice errors were more numerous under dual-task conditions than under single-task conditions (F1,18  =  5.58, P  =  .03, η2  =  0.24). However, differences were observed only during category-switch trials. Conclusions: Balance was either maintained or improved under dual-task conditions. Thus, postural control took priority over cognitive processing when the tasks were performed concurrently. Furthermore, dual-task conditions can isolate specific mental processes that may be useful for evaluating concussed individuals.

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