Does Inability to Allocate Attention Contribute to Balance Constraints During Gait in Older Adults?
Does Inability to Allocate Attention Contribute to Balance Constraints During Gait in Older Adults?
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DOI：
10.1093/gerona/63.12.1364
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发表时间：
2008-12-01
影响因子：
5.1
通讯作者：
Woollacott, Marjorie H.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Siu, Ka-Chun;Chou, Li-Shan;Woollacott, Marjorie H.
背景最近的研究探讨了老年人运动过程中的双重任务缺陷。然而，对这些缺陷背后的机制却知之甚少。在目前的研究中，我们研究了一个可能的因素，导致这些赤字，无法灵活分配注意力之间的两个任务。12名健康年轻人和12名健康老年人在行走时进行避障和听觉Stroop任务。使用注意力分配指数（AAI）比较健康年轻人和老年人的表现，并测量注意力分配的灵活性。结果显示，老年人在两项任务之间灵活分配注意力的能力有所下降。AAI值较小。老年人注意分配能力的下降在听觉Stroop任务中比在避障任务中更为显著。这项研究表明，一个重要的因素，同时执行姿势和次要的认知任务时，导致老年人的双任务性能下降是一个能力下降，灵活分配两个任务之间的注意力。灵活地转换注意力的一般能力预示着附着于优先化的马驹的能力。
Background. Recent research has explored dual-task deficits during locomotion in older adults. yet the mechanisms underlying these deficits are poorly understood. In the current study, we examined one possible factor contributing to these deficits, the inability to flexibly allocate attention between two tasks.Methods. Twelve healthy young adults and 12 healthy elderly adults performed obstacle avoidance while walking and an auditory Stroop task either alone or simultaneously.Results. Using an attentional allocation index (AAI) to compare performance of healthy young and older adults and to measure the flexibility of allocation of attention. results showed a tendency in older adults toward a decreased ability to flexibly allocate their attention between the two tasks. with small AAI values. The decreased ability to allocate attention in older adults was found to be more prominent in the auditory Stroop task performance than in the obstacle avoidance task.Conclusion. This study suggests that an important factor contributing to decreased dual-task performance in older adults when simultaneously performing a postural and secondary cognitive task is a reduced ability to flexibly allocate attention between the two tasks. with the general ability to switch attention flexibly being predictive of the ability to adhere to a prioritized foals.