Author ORCID Identifier
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
10-26-2018
Abstract
Background
Dual-task paradigms are used to investigate gait and cognitive declines in older adults (OA). Optic-flow is a virtual reality environment where the scene flows past the subject while walking on a treadmill, mimicking real-life locomotion.
Aims
To investigate cost of environment (no optic-flow v. optic-flow) while completing single- and dual-task walking and dual-task costs (DTC; single- v. dual-task) in optic-flow and no optic-flow environments.
Methods
Twenty OA and seven younger adults (YA) walked on a self-paced treadmill in 3-min segments per task and both environments. Five task conditions included: no task, semantic fluency (category), phonemic fluency (letters), word reading, and serial-subtraction.
Results
OAs had a benefit of optic-flow compared to no optic-flow for step width (p = 0.015) and step length (p = 0.045) during letters compared to the YA. During letters, OA experienced improvement in step width DTC; whereas YA had a decrement in step width DTC from no optic-flow to optic-flow (p = 0.038). During serial-subtraction, OA had less step width DTC when compared to YA in both environments (p = 0.02).
Discussion
During letters, step width and step length improved in OA while walking in optic-flow. Also, step width DTC differed between the two groups. Sensory information from optic-flow appears to benefit OA. Letters relies more on verbal ability and word knowledge, which are preserved in aging. However, YA use a complex speech style during dual tasking, searching for complex words and an increased speed of speech.
Conclusions
OA can benefit from optic-flow by improving spatial gait parameters, specifically, step width, during dual-task walking.
Journal Title
Aging Clinical and Experimental Research
Volume
31
First Page
1077
Last Page
1086
Recommended Citation
Leeder, T., Fallahtafti, F., Schieber, M. et al. Optic flow improves step width and length in older adults while performing dual task. Aging Clin Exp Res 31, 1077–1086 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40520-018-1059-x
Comments
This version of the article has been accepted for publication, after peer review (when applicable) and is subject to Springer Nature’s AM terms of use, but is not the Version of Record and does not reflect post-acceptance improvements, or any corrections. The Version of Record is available online at: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40520-018-1059-x
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