Associations between declines in uneven terrain walking speed and visuospatial working memory in older adults.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

Mobility and cognitive functions often decline concurrently in older adults, and may be particularly detrimental to walking in complex environments such as uneven terrain. Walking on uneven terrain particularly relies on visuospatial working memory to continuously adjust gait patterns; however, this relationship remains understudied. The objectives of this study are to examine group differences in uneven terrain walking speed and visuospatial n-back task performance across varying task demands among younger adults, and among older adults with high and low physical function and to assess whether uneven terrain-induced reductions in walking speed are associated with declines in n-back performance, particularly among low-functioning older adults. As an exploratory aim, we

SUBMITTER: Hwang J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12907310 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature