Abstract
Purpose
To contrast older and younger adults’ prefrontal cortex (PFC) neural activity (through changes in oxygenated hemoglobin) during single and dual tasks, and to compare decrements in task performance.
Methods
Changes in oxygenated hemoglobin of dorsolateral PFC were monitored using functional near-infrared spectroscopy during single tasks of spelling backwards (cognitive task) and 30 m preferred paced walk; and a dual task combining both. Gait velocity was measured by a pressure sensitive mat.
Results
Twenty sex-matched younger (27.6 ± 3.5 years) and 17 older adults (71.2 ± 4.9 years) were recruited. The left PFC oxygenated hemoglobin decreased from start (1st quintile) to the end (5th quintile) of the walking task in younger adults ( – 0.03 ± 0.03 to – 0.72 ± 0.20 µM; p < .05) unlike the non-significant change in older adults (0.03 ± 0.06 to – 0.41 ± 0.32 µM, p > .05). Overall, oxygenation increased bilaterally during dual versus single walk task in older adults (Left PFC: 0.22 ± 0.16 vs. – 0.23 ± 0.21 µM, respectively; Right PFC: 0.17 ± 0.18 vs. – 0.33 ± 0.22 µM, respectively), but only in right PFC in younger adults ( – 0.02 ± 0.15 vs. – 0.47 ± 0.13 µM). Older adults exhibited lower velocity during the dual task compared to younger adults (1.03 ± 0.16 vs. 1.20 ± 0.17 m/s, respectively). Older age was associated with dual task cost on velocity during walking after adjusting for confounding variables.
Conclusions
Age-related cognitive decline in older adults may increase neural activity for cognitive tasks and diminish walking automaticity that may lead to decrements during dual tasking; the greater PFC increases in the oxygenated hemoglobin and lower velocity may be due to increased cognitive load and limited attentional resources.
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Availability of data and material
The datasets of the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.
Code availability
Not applicable.
Abbreviations
- ∆O2Hb:
-
Changes in oxygenated hemoglobin
- BMI:
-
Body mass index
- fNIRS:
-
Functional near-infrared spectroscopy
- PFC:
-
Prefrontal cortex
- PPW:
-
Preferred paced walk
- Q1:
-
First quintile
- Q5:
-
Fifth quintile
- SB:
-
Spelling backwards
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Acknowledgements
The authors would like to acknowledge Dr. Masatoshi Hanada for his assistance with data collection and Dr. Hasan Ayaz for his technical support with fNIRS data.
Funding
This work was funded by the Research and Innovation Ontario, Grant number 501683, Canada Foundation for Innovation, Grant number 501682, Ontario Respiratory Care Society, Grant number 503659, the Department of Physical Therapy 208294 and Rehabilitation Sciences Institute 100771 at the University of Toronto. The sponsors had no role in the design and conduct of the study; in the collection, analysis, and interpretation of data; in the preparation of the manuscript; or in the review or approval of the manuscript.
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Conceptualization: WDR and LVB; methodology: WDR, LVB and DR; software, SAH; validation: all authors; formal analysis: SAH. WDR, DR; investigation: SAH, LVB and KTK; resources: WDR; data curation: SAH, KTK and WDR; writing—original draft preparation: SAH; writing—review and editing: all authors; visualization: SAH and WDR; supervision: WDR; project administration: all authors; funding acquisition: WDR. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.
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Communicated by Lori Ann Vallis.
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Hassan, S.A., Bonetti, L.V., Kasawara, K.T. et al. Decreased automaticity contributes to dual task decrements in older compared to younger adults. Eur J Appl Physiol 122, 965–974 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-022-04891-w
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-022-04891-w