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Background <p>Aging is accompanied by declines in cognitive, sensory, and motor functions that can adversely affect everyday activities, such as walking while performing a concurrent cognitive task. In this study, we investigate the effects of age and age simulation on dual-task performance, specifically focusing on gait and memory.</p> Methods <p>We compare three groups: young adults (<i>n</i> = 28, <i>M</i>age = 21.82, <i>SD</i>age = 1.96), young adults wearing an age simulation suit (<i>n</i> = 28, <i>M</i>age = 22.07, <i>SD</i>age = 1.51), and older adults (<i>n</i> = 28, <i>M</i>age = 72.82, <i>SD</i>age = 6.74). Participants performed a 2-minute walking test (walking as fast as possible) and a word memory test (learning words presented on a piece of cardboard) under single- and dual- task conditions (repeated measures). Gait parameters, including walking speed, cadence, stride length, and double-support time were recorded using a wearable motion capture system. Mixed-design ANOVAs were conducted with Group as a between-subjects factor and Task Condition as a within-subjects factor.</p> Results <p>The analyses revealed significant main effects of Task Condition, indicating impairments in both cognitive and gait performance under dual-task conditions (both <i>p</i> &lt; .001), as well as significant main effects of Group, with older adults exhibiting the poorest performance overall (both <i>p</i> &lt; .001). Notably, while memory performance did not differ significantly between young adults with and without the age simulation suit (<i>p</i> = .729), the suit resulted in significantly slower gait speed (<i>p</i> &lt; .001) and alterations in other gait parameters approximating older adults’ gait profiles.</p> Conclusions <p>These results underscore that declines in central attentional capacity combined with peripheral deficits contribute to dual-task interference, potentially increasing instability and fall risk in older populations. Importantly, the group differences reveal how these mechanisms contribute in different ways to age-related performance declines.</p>

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Aging in motion: how age and age simulation shape dual-task walking and memory

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

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  • 发表日期：

    2026年7月16日

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  • Anna Heggenberger,
  • Patrick Harth,
  • Sabine Schaefer,
  • Christian Kaczmarek

摘要

Background

Aging is accompanied by declines in cognitive, sensory, and motor functions that can adversely affect everyday activities, such as walking while performing a concurrent cognitive task. In this study, we investigate the effects of age and age simulation on dual-task performance, specifically focusing on gait and memory.

Methods

We compare three groups: young adults (n = 28, Mage = 21.82, SDage = 1.96), young adults wearing an age simulation suit (n = 28, Mage = 22.07, SDage = 1.51), and older adults (n = 28, Mage = 72.82, SDage = 6.74). Participants performed a 2-minute walking test (walking as fast as possible) and a word memory test (learning words presented on a piece of cardboard) under single- and dual- task conditions (repeated measures). Gait parameters, including walking speed, cadence, stride length, and double-support time were recorded using a wearable motion capture system. Mixed-design ANOVAs were conducted with Group as a between-subjects factor and Task Condition as a within-subjects factor.

Results

The analyses revealed significant main effects of Task Condition, indicating impairments in both cognitive and gait performance under dual-task conditions (both p < .001), as well as significant main effects of Group, with older adults exhibiting the poorest performance overall (both p < .001). Notably, while memory performance did not differ significantly between young adults with and without the age simulation suit (p = .729), the suit resulted in significantly slower gait speed (p < .001) and alterations in other gait parameters approximating older adults’ gait profiles.

Conclusions

These results underscore that declines in central attentional capacity combined with peripheral deficits contribute to dual-task interference, potentially increasing instability and fall risk in older populations. Importantly, the group differences reveal how these mechanisms contribute in different ways to age-related performance declines.