Exploring gait automaticity and prefrontal brain activity during single and dual-task walking in aging and Parkinson's disease.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Walking while performing a concurrent cognitive task leads to cognitive-motor interference, resulting in slower and more variable gait. This is particularly the case in Parkinson's disease (PD), where dual-task situations exacerbate walking impairments, increasing fall risk and reducing quality of life. Cognitive-motor impairment has been linked to excessive attentional demands due to reduced locomotor automaticity. Neuroimaging studies suggest over-reliance on prefrontal resources potentially reflecting compensatory mechanisms. However, few studies link automaticity, performance, and cognitive capacity to prefrontal activity, particularly in PD. In older adults (OA) and people with PD, this study aims to: (1) describe dual-task effects and prefrontal cortical activity d

SUBMITTER: Kvist A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12849653 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature