Author(s): Rainer Beurskens | Otmar Bock
Journal: Ageing Research
ISSN 2036-7384
Volume: 2;
Issue: 1;
Start page: e5;
Date: 2011;
Original page
Keywords: aging | locomotion | attention | executive functions | fall prevention
ABSTRACT
Previous studies suggested that age-related deficits of walking are accentuated under dual-task conditions when the non-walking task is visually demanding. Here we evaluate whether a requirement for manual skills is critical as well. Young (22±2 years) and older (69±3 years) subjects walked along a straight path while performing a task that required manual skills but no visual processing, i.e., checking off boxes on a handheld panel without seeing the arm, or a task that required visual processing but no manual skill , i.e., a Stroop-like task with verbal responses. We found that the checking task affected the performance of young and elderly subjects to a similar degree, while the Stroop-like task affected seniors’ performance more than that of young subjects. This outcome confirms the role of visual demand for age-related deficits of dual-task walking (in the Stroop-like task), but doesn’t support a similar role for manual skills (in the checking task).
Journal: Ageing Research
ISSN 2036-7384
Volume: 2;
Issue: 1;
Start page: e5;
Date: 2011;
Original page
Keywords: aging | locomotion | attention | executive functions | fall prevention
ABSTRACT
Previous studies suggested that age-related deficits of walking are accentuated under dual-task conditions when the non-walking task is visually demanding. Here we evaluate whether a requirement for manual skills is critical as well. Young (22±2 years) and older (69±3 years) subjects walked along a straight path while performing a task that required manual skills but no visual processing, i.e., checking off boxes on a handheld panel without seeing the arm, or a task that required visual processing but no manual skill , i.e., a Stroop-like task with verbal responses. We found that the checking task affected the performance of young and elderly subjects to a similar degree, while the Stroop-like task affected seniors’ performance more than that of young subjects. This outcome confirms the role of visual demand for age-related deficits of dual-task walking (in the Stroop-like task), but doesn’t support a similar role for manual skills (in the checking task).
