Article

Researchers looking at the effects of performing a concurrent cognitive task on
postural control in young and older adults using traditional center-of-pressure
measures and complexity measures found discordant results. Results of experiments
showing improvements of stability have suggested the use of strategies such as
automatization of postural control or stiffening strategy. This experiment aimed
to confirm in healthy young and older adults that performing a cognitive task
while standing leads to improvements that are due to automaticity of sway by
using sample entropy. Twenty-one young adults and twenty-five older adults were
asked to stand on a force platform while performing a cognitive task. There were
four cognitive tasks: simple reaction time, go/no-go reaction time, equation and
occurrence of a digit in a number sequence. Results demonstrated decreased sway
area and variability as well as increased sample entropy for both groups when
performing a cognitive task. Results suggest that performing a concurrent
cognitive task promotes the adoption of an automatic postural control in young
and older adults as evidenced by an increased postural stability and postural
sway complexity.
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Langue : ANGLAIS