Dual-tasking and aging—About multiple perspectives and possible implementations in interventions for the elderly

Abstract

It is well known that dual-tasking is adversely affected by physiological degenerative processes. Furthermore, the completion of a secondary task while walking is frequently discussed as a key contributor for falls in the elderly. Age-related differences in both activated neural structures and human behavior are indicated in numerous previous studies. Besides a general overview of dual-tasking and aging, this article reviews studies aiming at improving gait or postural control in older adults using dual- or multi-task interventions. Approximately, 130 parameters out of 17 illustrated studies presented significant changes after dual-task-specific interventions regarding gait, postural control/balance, and falls. On the one hand, the article at hand shows highly consistent results in all of the dual-task intervention studies analyzed, indicating significant improvements related to postural control, gait, falls, or the performance of a secondary task. On the other hand, the results represent a heterogeneous structure and a gap between theoretical aspects and practical use. To optimize the use of dual-task, a systematization of underlying tasks is inevitable and should be focused on in further research.

Keywords

• dual-task
• aging
• behavior
• gait
• postural control