Age-related decrements in dual-task performance: Comparison of different mobility and cognitive tasks. A cross sectional study

Paolo Riccardo Brustio, Daniele Magistro, Massimiliano Zecca, Emanuela Rabaglietti, Monica Emma Liubicich, Paolo Riccardo Brustio, Daniele Magistro, Massimiliano Zecca, Emanuela Rabaglietti, Monica Emma Liubicich

Abstract

This cross-sectional study investigated the age-related differences in dual-task performance both in mobility and cognitive tasks and the additive dual-task costs in a sample of older, middle-aged and young adults. 74 older adults (M = 72.63±5.57 years), 58 middle-aged adults (M = 46.69±4.68 years) and 63 young adults (M = 25.34±3.00 years) participated in the study. Participants performed different mobility and subtraction tasks under both single- and dual-task conditions. Linear regressions, repeated-measures and one-way analyses of covariance were used, The results showed: significant effects of the age on the dual and mobility tasks (p<0.05) and differences among the age-groups in the combined dual-task costs (p<0.05); significant decreases in mobility performance under dual-task conditions in all groups (p<0.05) and a decrease in cognitive performance in the older group (p<0.05). Dual-task activity affected mobility and cognitive performance, especially in older adults who showed a higher dual-task cost, suggesting that dual-tasks activities are affected by the age and consequently also mobility and cognitive tasks are negatively influenced.

Conflict of interest statement

Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Fig 1. Combined mDTC.
Fig 1. Combined mDTC.
Mean dual-task costs (mDTCs) for the combined mobility and cognitive tasks. Each bar represents the average score for young (gray), middle-aged (white) and older subjects (black) in the different mobility tasks. The columns represent the means, and the error brackets represent the pertinent standard error. * indicates p< 0.05; ** indicates p< 0.01.

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