The relation between standing balance and cognitive information processing performance in elderly persons. Examination by the dual-task assessment

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  • 高齢者における立位バランスと認知課題処理能力の関係について : 二重課題を用いた検討
  • コウレイシャ ニ オケル リツイ バランス ト ニンチ カダイ ショリ ノウリョク ノ カンケイ ニ ツイテ ニジュウ カダイ オ モチイタ ケントウ

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Abstract

Antecedent research indicates that elderly persons with a balance disorder have significantly moreshifts in their body center of gravity than those with no balance disorder, while they simultaneouslyperform a task to maintain a standing position and a cognitive task such as calculation and repetition ofnumbers. In this research, a comparative study was made to identify what differences can be observed withrespect to elderly persons' abilities to deal with a task to maintain a standing position and a cognitive taskrespectively, in the following two cases: (1) when an elderly person performs both a task to maintain astanding position and a cognitive task (based on a the Stroop Test) simultaneously, and (2) when theelderly person performs the above tasks individually. Subjects were elderly persons of 65 years old or overand were organized into two groups based on scores of the Berg Balance Scale: the first group wascomposed of those who had good balance (14 persons); and the second group, poor balance (9persons).As an index to measure the ability to maintain a standing position and to perform a cognitive task,total excursion length (Length: LNG) of the shift in the center of pressure and the performance time forthe Stroop Test were used. Among the group with poor balance, differences in LNG were recognizedsignificantly between the two cases: when the subjects were in an ordinary standing position, and when thesubjects were performing the Stroop Color Test. Significant differences were also found in theperformance time for the Stroop Color Test between the two cases: when the subjects were in a sittingposition and when the subjects were in a standing position. Among the group with good balance, neitherLNG nor performance time for the Stroop Test were affected by performing both tasks simultaneously.The findings suggest that when elderly persons with bad balance deal with a task to maintain a standingposition and a cognitive task with a relative complexity simultaneously, the performance ability for bothtasks decreased. Thus, it is considered that whether or not a person needs to pay attention to maintain astanding position is involved in the decreased performance ability.

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