Optic flow improves step width and length in older adults while performing dual task.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Dual-task paradigms are used to investigate gait and cognitive declines in older adults (OA). Optic-flow is a virtual reality environment where the scene flows past the subject while walking on a treadmill, mimicking real-life locomotion.

Aims

To investigate cost of environment (no optic-flow v. optic-flow) while completing single- and dual-task walking and dual-task costs (DTC; single- v. dual-task) in optic-flow and no optic-flow environments.

Methods

Twenty OA and seven younger adults (YA) walked on a self-paced treadmill in 3-min segments per task and both environments. Five task conditions included: no task, semantic fluency (category), phonemic fluency (letters), word reading, and serial-subtraction.

Results

OAs had a benefit of optic-flow comp

SUBMITTER: Leeder T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6486470 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature