Younger and Late Middle-Aged Adults Exhibit Different Patterns of Cognitive-Motor Interference During Locomotor Adaptation, With No Disruption of Savings

It has been proposed that motor adaptation and subsequent savings (or faster relearning) of an adapted movement pattern are mediated by cognitive processes. Here, we evaluated the pattern of cognitive-motor interference that emerges when young and late middle-aged adults perform an executive working memory task during locomotor adaptation. We also asked if this interferes with savings of a newly learned walking pattern, as has been suggested by a study of reaching adaptation. We studied split-belt treadmill adaptation and savings in young (21 ± 2 y/o) and late middle-aged (56 ± 6 y/o) adults with or without a secondary 2-back task during adaptation. We found that young adults showed similar performance on the 2-back task during baseline and adaptation, suggesting no effect of the dual-task on cognitive performance; however, dual-tasking interfered with adaptation over the first few steps. Conversely, dual-tasking caused a decrement in cognitive performance in late middle-aged adults with no effect on adaptation. To determine if this effect was specific to adaptation, we also evaluated dual-task interference in late middle-aged adults that dual-tasked while walking in a complex environment that did not induce motor adaptation. This group exhibited less cognitive-motor interference than late middle-aged adults who dual-tasked during adaptation. Savings was unaffected by dual-tasking in both young and late middle-aged adults, which may indicate different underlying mechanisms for savings of reaching and walking. Collectively, our findings reveal an age-dependent effect of cognitive-motor interference during dual-task locomotor adaptation and no effect of dual-tasking on savings, regardless of age. Young adults maintain cognitive performance and show a mild decrement in locomotor adaptation, while late middle-aged adults adapt locomotion at the expense of cognitive performance.

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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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Cross-Sectional Study Using Virtual Reality to Measure Cognition

Frontiers in Sports and Active Living ◽

10.3389/fspor.2020.543676 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 2 ◽

Author(s):

Yeonhak Jung ◽

Jonathan B. Dingwell ◽

Brett Baker ◽

Preeti Chopra ◽

Darla M. Castelli

Keyword(s):

Virtual Reality ◽

Young Adults ◽

Reaction Time ◽

Cognitive Performance ◽

Error Rate ◽

Dual Task ◽

Behavioral Responses ◽

Advanced Technology ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Dual Tasking

Dual-task research is limited in its transferability to authentic contexts because laboratory conditions do not replicate real-world physical activity and decision-making scenarios. Creating valid, reliable methodologies to assess physiological and behavioral responses under varying physical and cognitive demands using virtual reality (VR) environment addresses this limitation. This study determined the feasibility of using VR to investigate the effects of dual-tasking on healthy young adults' cognitive performance. Three dual-tasking conditions (i.e., standing, preferred-paced walking, and fast-paced walking, each with blocked congruent and incongruent tasks) were developed. Using a within-subjects, randomized design, thirty-two young adults (17 female, mean age = 21.03 ± 2.86) were randomly assigned to a starting condition but experienced all three conditions. Physiological responses of heart rate (HR) and accelerometry data measured energy expenditure as the physical demand. Behavioral responses of reaction time and error rate quantified cognitive performance. Results indicated that (a) each condition verified independent physiological and behavioral responses; (b) reaction time and error rate during preferred walking or fast-paced walking dual-tasking conditions was significantly lower than standing condition; and surprisingly, (c) congruent tasks showed lower reaction time than the incongruent tasks. These findings suggest that it is feasible to use VR to assess the effects of dual-task conditions. Specifically, walking can optimize the motor-cognitive dual-task performance, compared to standing. These findings may be attributed to the dose-response effects of exercise intensity. Future studies should incorporate advanced technology such as the VR exercise.

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Clinical and Radiological Differences in Patients Following Traumatic SCI at Different Ages

Ortopedia Traumatologia Rehabilitacja ◽

10.5604/01.3001.0015.2368 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 23 (4) ◽

pp. 305-314

Author(s):

Thalia Saraiva Mendonça ◽

Vitor Dias de Arruda Andrade ◽

Pedro Nogarotto Cembraneli ◽

Julia Brasileiro de Faria Cavalcante ◽

André Salotto Rocha ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Spinal Cord ◽

Spinal Cord Injury ◽

Young Adults ◽

Compression Fracture ◽

Facial Trauma ◽

Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury ◽

Elderly Adults ◽

Middle Aged ◽

Cord Injury ◽

Middle Aged Adults

Background. Traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) is a lesion that can affect several spinal structures, including the vertebrae, spinal cord, ligaments, and other adjacent parts of the spine. Traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) can cause functional changes in patients of different ages. Material and methods. The study aims to determine whether there are social, clinical, and radiological differences between young, middle-aged, and elderly adults with SCI caused by a ground-level fall. This retrospective study analyzed the records of patients with a clinical diagnosis of SCI. It enrolled patients with traumatic spinal cord injury after a ground-level fall divided as follows: young aged adults 18–35 years of age (G1); middle-aged adults aged 36–60 years (G2); and elderly adults aged over 60 years (G3). Their clinical, social, and radiological variables were analyzed. Results. It is observed that low schooling level, being widowed, and being a homemaker were more frequently encountered among elderly adults, whereas being single was more common in middle-aged adults. The morphologic diagnosis of compression fracture and the associated injury of facial trauma occurred more frequently in elderly adults, with an increasing tendency with age. Conservative therapeutic management was most commonly encountered in elderly adults, compared to surgery from a posterior approach in middle-aged adults. Listhesis was better identified in middle-aged adults by computed tomography (CT). Spinal cord contusion and injury to the C1 vertebra were demonstrated in young adults by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Conclusions. 1. Elderly adults with low education level, widowed, and homemakers were more susceptible to SCI caused by a fall. 2. Single marital status was more frequently noted in young adults. 3. The most frequent clinical aspects were the morphological aspect of compression fracture and facial trauma as an associated injury in elderly adults, with the occurrence of facial trauma increasing with age. 4. Conservative therapeutic management was more common in elderly adults than surgery from a posterior approach in middle-aged adults. 5. Regarding the radiological aspects of CT, listhesis was better identified in middle-aged adults. Spinal cord contusions and C1 vertebra lesions were better identified in young adults by MRI.

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Long‐term adiposity is associated with poorer cognitive performance in middle‐aged adults at high risk of Alzheimer’s disease

Alzheimer s & Dementia ◽

10.1002/alz.041829 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 16 (S10) ◽

Author(s):

Rebecca West ◽

Ramit Ravona‐Springer ◽

Inbal Sharvit‐Ginon ◽

Sapir Golan ◽

Anthony Heymann ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Alzheimer’S Disease ◽

Alzheimer's Disease ◽

High Risk ◽

Cognitive Performance ◽

Middle Aged ◽

Middle Aged Adults

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Abstract 071: Ten-year Change In Tv Viewing Is Associated With Concurrent Change In Pericardial Adipose Tissue In Middle-aged Adults: The Coronary Artery Risk Development In Young Adults (CARDIA) Study

Circulation ◽

10.1161/circ.143.suppl_1.071 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 143 (Suppl_1) ◽

Author(s):

Minsuk Oh ◽

Kelley Pettee Gabriel ◽

David R Jacobs ◽

James G Terry ◽

Jingzhong Ding ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Young Adults ◽

Adipose Tissue ◽

Coronary Artery ◽

Disease Risk ◽

Viewing Time ◽

Middle Aged ◽

Tv Viewing ◽

Pericardial Adipose Tissue ◽

Middle Aged Adults

Introduction: Pericardial adipose tissue (PAT), an ectopic adipose depot surrounding the coronary arteries, is a pathogenic risk factor for cardiometabolic disease; however, the association of sedentary behavior with PAT is poorly understood. We examined the longitudinal association of 10-year change in TV viewing with concurrent change in PAT. Hypothesis: Increased h/day of TV viewing over 10 years are associated with larger mean increases in PAT during the same 10-year period. Methods: Middle-aged adults (N=1659, mean age=40.4, 912 females, 733 blacks) from the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) Study at the exam years 15 (2000-2001) and 25 (2010-2011) were included. Both TV viewing (h/day) and the volume of PAT (mL) were measured at Years 15 and 25 using the CARDIA physical activity questionnaire and computed tomography, respectively. Covariates measured at year 15 included PAT, sociodemographic factors, cardiovascular disease risk factors, diet quality, TV viewing, moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity (MVPA), inflammatory cytokines, and waist circumference. Multivariable linear regression was used to estimate 10-year change in PAT across increasing tertiles (≤ -1, > -1 to < 1, ≥ 1 h/day) of 10-year changes in TV viewing. Results: On average, TV viewing and PAT increased between the two exam years by 0.2 h/day (8.7% increase, mean: 2.3 → 2.5 h/day) and 11.8 mL (25.9% increase, mean: 45.6 → 57.4 mL), respectively (all p < 0.01). In the fully adjusted model including MVPA and other major confounders, the highest tertile of 10-year change in TV viewing was associated with greater change in PAT (β = 2.97 mL, p < 0.01) when compared with the lowest tertile (see Figure 1 ), while mean PAT change was intermediate in the middle tertile. Conclusions: A greater 10-year increase in TV viewing is associated with a greater concurrent increase in PAT, independent of MVPA and other important confounders. Reducing TV viewing time may be associated with less PAT accumulation with age.

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KNOWLEDGE OF AGING, NEGATIVE AGE BIAS, AND POSITIVE AGE BIAS: AGE GROUP DIFFERENCES

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igz038.312 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. S80-S81

Author(s):

Grace Caskie ◽

Anastasia E Canell ◽

Hannah M Bashian

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Young Adults ◽

Well Being ◽

Total Sample ◽

Group Differences ◽

Age Group ◽

Middle Aged ◽

Age Bias ◽

Negative Beliefs ◽

Middle Aged Adults

Abstract Attitudes towards aging include both positive and negative beliefs about older adults (Iverson et al., 2017; Palmore, 1999). Palmore’s (1998) Facts on Aging Quiz, a widely used assessment of knowledge about aging, also identifies common societal misconceptions about aging. Findings regarding age group differences in attitudes toward aging are mixed (Bodner et al., 2012; Cherry & Palmore, 2008; Rupp et al., 2005). The current study compared knowledge of aging, negative age bias, and positive age bias between young adults (18-35 years, n=268) and middle-aged adults (40-55 years; n=277). Middle-aged adults reported significantly greater average knowledge of aging than young adults (p=.019), although both groups had relatively low knowledge (MA: M=13.0, YA: M=12.2). Middle-aged adults also showed significantly less negative age bias (p<.001) and significantly more positive age bias than young adults (p=.026). Although the total sample was significantly more likely to be incorrect than correct on 23 of the 25 facts (p<.001), young adults were significantly more likely than middle-aged adults (p<.001) to respond incorrectly for only 2 of 25 facts. Both facts reflected greater negative age bias among young adults than middle-aged adults. These facts concerned older adults’ ability to work as effectively as young adults (fact 9) and frequency of depression in older adults (fact 13). Results demonstrate that age bias is not limited to young adults and may continue through midlife, though negative age bias in particular may be lower for individuals approaching older adulthood, which could have implications for their psychological and physical well-being.

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A-12 Neuroticism and Extraversion are Related to Dual Task Postural Stability in Healthy Young Adults

Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology ◽

10.1093/arclin/acz034.12 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 34 (6) ◽

pp. 871-871

Author(s):

C Kennedy ◽

C Higginson ◽

M Valenti ◽

K Ibrahim ◽

B Knarr ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Young Adults ◽

Cognitive Functioning ◽

Dual Task ◽

Postural Stability ◽

Weather Prediction ◽

Correlation Coefficients ◽

Balance Task ◽

Path Lengths ◽

Weather Prediction Task ◽

Back Task

Abstract Objective The relation between personality and postural stability has received little attention. This study addressed whether neuroticism and extraversion are related to changes in postural stability and cognitive functioning during a standing balance task. Method Thirty-two healthy young adults completed a personality measure and two cognitive tasks, a 2-back task and a weather prediction task (WPT), both while seated and in tandem stance on a foam mat. Sway was quantified via normalized path lengths, and correlation coefficients were calculated between neuroticism, extraversion and dual task changes in postural stability and cognitive functioning. Results Consistent with predictions, higher neuroticism was related to increased dual task sway during the 2-back task, r = 0.40, p = 0.023, and lower extraversion was related to increased dual task sway during the WPT, r = -0.43, p = 0.013. Conclusions The results suggest that personality is related to postural stability in healthy young adults and that personality should be considered in the prediction of individuals at risk for falling or in the treatment of individuals with balance difficulties. The task-specific nature of the relation is discussed and may be due to differences in anxiety or underlying brain mechanisms between high neuroticism and low extraversion.

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