Walking behaviour of healthy elderly: attention should be paid

Abstract

Background:Previous studies have reported an association between executive function (EF) and measures of gait,particularly among older adults. This study examined the relationship between specific components of executivefunctions and the relative dual task costs of gait (DTC) in community-dwelling non-demented older adults, aged 65years and older. Methods:Temporal (stride time, stride velocity) and spatial (stride length) gait characteristics were measured usinga GAITRite®-System among 62 healthy community dwelling older adults while walking with and without backwardcounting (BC) at preferred and fast walking speeds. Specific executive functionsdivided attention,memoryandinhibitionwere assessed using the Test for Attentional Performance (TAP). Other measures included Mini-MentalState Examination (MMSE), amount of daily medications taken, educational level and sociodemographiccharacteristics. Adjusted and unadjusted multivariable linear regression models were developed to assess therelations between variables. Results:High relative DTC for stride time, stride velocity and stride length were associated with divided attentionat fast walking speed. High relative DTC for stride time was associated with divided attention at preferred walkingspeed. The association between high DTC of stride length and memory was less robust and only observable atpreferred walking speed. None of the gait measures was associated with inhibition. Conclusions:Spatial and temporal dual task cost characteristics of gait are especially associated with dividedattention in older adults. The results showed that the associated DTC differ by executive function and the nature ofthe task (preferred versus fast walking). Further research is warranted to determine whether improvement individed attention translates to better performance on selected complex walking tasks.