Citation

Plummer-D'Amato P, Altmann LJ, Reilly K. Gait Posture 2011; 33(2): 233-237.

Affiliation

Department of Physical Therapy, Northeastern University, 360 Huntington Ave, 6 Robinson Hall, Boston, MA 02115-5000, United States.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2011, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.gaitpost.2010.11.011

PMID

21193313

Abstract

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 (74.7years, SD 5.9) and 23 younger adults (22years, 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 <1m/s.

Language: en