Abstract
Counting backward (CB) and walking are both rhythmic tasks. An improvement of CB performance has been reported while walking, and has been interpreted as a “magnet effect” which is the tendency of biological oscillators to attract each other. The objective of this study was to compare the coefficient of variation (CoV) of stride time (ST) and the number of enumerated figures while single- and dual-tasking between older adults who increased and decreased their CoV of ST while CB. The number of enumerated figures and the CoV of ST under single-task (i.e., CB while sitting or walking alone) and dual-task (i.e., CB while walking) were measured among 100 community-dwelling older subjects (mean, 69.8 ± 0.07 years). Subjects were separated into two groups according to the dual-task-related changes in CoV of ST (i.e., either above or below the mean value of CoV of ST under single-task). Seventeen participants decreased their CoV of ST while CB compared to usual walking (2.6 ± 1.6% vs. 2.0 ± 1.3%, P < 0.001), while 83 increased their CoV of ST (1.7 ± 0.6% vs 3.4 ± 2.3%, P < 0.001). The subjects who decreased their CoV of ST had a tendency to enumerate more figures while walking compared to sitting (20.9 ± 6.3 vs 19.4 ± 4.7, P = 0.046) unlike those who increased their CoV of ST (20.3 ± 5.0 vs 21.8 ± 6.0 while sitting, P = 0.001). We found that most of subjects had worse gait and CB performance while dual-tasking. Conversely, a limited number of subjects improved significantly their gait performance and simultaneously had a tendency to improve their CB performance while walking compared to sitting. This behavior was observed only among subjects with the highest gait variability and could be interpreted as an implicit strategy based on the “magnet effect”.
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Acknowledgment
The PROOF study group would like to thank all the subjects included in the present study, Dr Catherine Thomas-Anterion, Mrs Delphine Maudoux, Dr Stéphane Chomienne, and Mr Arnault Garcin (CHU de Saint Etienne, France) for their expert help in data aquisition and interpretation. This study was supported by a grant from the French Minister of Health (Projet Hospitalier de Recherche Clinique National, Direction de la Recherche Clinique, CHU Saint-Etienne; Appel d’Offre 1998 and Appel d’Offre 2002) and by Association de Recherche SYNAPSE (Michel Ségura: President).
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Beauchet, O., Allali, G., Poujol, L. et al. Decrease in gait variability while counting backward: a marker of “magnet effect”?. J Neural Transm 117, 1171–1176 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00702-010-0463-y
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00702-010-0463-y