@article{ref1,
title="Task specificity impacts dual-task interference in older adults",
journal="Aging clinical and experimental research",
year="2020",
author="Fallahtafti, Farahnaz and Boron, Julie Blaskiewicz and Venema, Dawn M. and Kim, Hyeon Jung and Yentes, Jennifer M.",
volume="ePub",
number="ePub",
pages="ePub-ePub",
abstract="BACKGROUND: Task prioritization is an important factor determines the magnitude and direction of dual-task interference in older adults. Greater dual-task cost during walking may lead to falling, sometimes causing lasting effects on mobility. AIMS: We investigated dual-task interference for walking and cognitive performance. <br><br>METHODS: Twenty healthy, older adults (71 ± 5 years) completed three cognitive tasks: letter fluency, category fluency, and serial subtraction during seated and walking conditions on a self-paced treadmill for 3 min each, in addition to walking only condition. Walking speed, step length and width were measured during walking and each dual-task condition. <br><br>RESULTS: Comparing the percentage of correct answers in cognitive tasks across single and dual-task conditions, there was a main effect of cognitive task (p = 0.021), showing higher scores during letter fluency compared to serial subtraction (p = 0.011). Step width was significantly wider during dual-task letter fluency compared to walking alone (p = 0.003), category fluency (p = 0.001), and serial subtraction (p = 0.007). <br><br>DISCUSSION: During both fluency tasks, there was a cost for gait and cognition, with category showing a slightly higher cognitive cost compared to letter fluency. During letter fluency, to maintain cognitive performance, gait was sacrificed by increasing step width. During serial subtraction, there was a cost for gait, yet a benefit for cognitive performance. <br><br>CONCLUSION: Differential effect of cognitive task on dual-task performance is critical to be understood in designing future research or interventions to improve dual-task performance of most activities of daily living.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="1594-0667",
doi="10.1007/s40520-020-01575-3",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s40520-020-01575-3"
}