Does the walking task matter? Influence of different walking conditions on dual-task performances in young and older persons
Does the walking task matter? Influence of different walking conditions on dual-task performances in young and older persons
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DOI：
10.1016/j.humov.2013.07.013
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发表时间：
2013-12-01
影响因子：
2.1
通讯作者：
Bock, Otmar
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Beurskens, Rainer;Bock, Otmar
以往的文献表明，年龄相关的缺陷的双任务行走是特别明显的第二个任务，需要连续的视觉处理。在这里，我们评估步行任务的难度是否也很重要。为此，参与者被要求在四种不同的步行条件下沿着沿着20 m长的笔直路径行走：（a）宽路径和首选步速;（B）窄路径和首选步速;（c）宽路径和快速步速;（d）有障碍的宽路径和首选步速。每种情况都与需要视觉处理或精细运动控制的任务同时执行，并且所有任务也都单独执行，这使得我们能够计算双任务成本（DTC）。结果表明，与年龄相关的DTC增加与视觉要求的任务比与运动要求的任务大得多，尤其是在狭窄或有障碍的路径上行走时。我们将这些观察结果归因于这样一个事实，即在困难的地形中行走时，对环境的视觉扫描变得更加重要：这些条件的较高视觉需求加重了与年龄相关的在协调它们与视觉非行走任务方面的缺陷。(C)2013作者Elsevier B. V.出版，保留所有权利。
Previous literature suggests that age-related deficits of dual-task walking are particularly pronounced with second tasks that require continuous visual processing. Here we evaluate whether the difficulty of the walking task matters as well. To this end, participants were asked to walk along a straight pathway of 20 m length in four different walking conditions: (a) wide path and preferred pace; (b) narrow path and preferred pace, (c) wide path and fast pace, (d) obstacled wide path and preferred pace. Each condition was performed concurrently with a task requiring visual processing or fine motor control, and all tasks were also performed alone which allowed us to calculate the dual-task costs (DTC). Results showed that the age-related increase of DTC is substantially larger with the visually demanding than with the motor-demanding task, more so when walking on a narrow or obstacled path. We attribute these observations to the fact that visual scanning of the environment becomes more crucial when walking in difficult terrains: the higher visual demand of those conditions accentuates the age-related deficits in coordinating them with a visual non-walking task. (C) 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.