Impact of mood after cognitive fatigue on gait in older adults

Abstract

ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to examine the relationship between self reported mood (fatigue, vigor, motivation, trait physical energy (TPE), trait physical fatigue (TPF), trait mental energy (TME), trait mental fatigue (TMF)) and gait.MethodsSubjects (N=12, age= 75.39±6.67 yrs, height=176.01±51.94 cm, weight=61.97±12.61 kg)) were involved in 2 days of a 2‐hour protocol of cognitively fatiguing tasks, after which they were administered the Profile of Mood Survey (POMS) and Trait Mental and Physical Fatigue and Energy surveys (TS), tasked to complete a 6MWT at their normal speed, and then the POMS and TS were re‐administered. Gait speed (GS), step length (SL) and stride length (StL) were measured using the OptoGait™ during the 6MWT. Gait was measured the first and last 30 seconds of the 6MWT. A bi‐variate Pearson correlation was used to determine the relationship between mood scores before the 6MWT to GS, SL, and StL in the first 30 seconds of the 6MWT and mood scores after the 6MWT to GS, SL, and StL in the last 30 seconds of the 6MWT.ResultsThere were no relationships between all self reported mood variables and gait variables during the first 30 seconds of the 6MWT. However, there was a significant relationship between self reported fatigue and GS (p=.044, R=−.371); vigor and GS (p=.016, R=.437), SL (p=.020, R=.422), StL (p=.023, R=.415); TME and GS (p=.029, R=.400), SL (p=.023, R=.415), StL (p=.024, R=.410) in the last 30 seconds of the 6MWT. Which ones were there no relationship between last 30 seconds of the 6MWT.ConclusionResults indicate that self‐reported feelings of fatigue and energy play a role in gait performance during prolonged walking activity. These results suggest that mood in older adults who are cognitively fatigued may be related to gait. It seems that feelings of mental energy impact gait however, feelings of physical energy don't. We need to further evaluate why feelings of physical energy and fatigue are not related to gait. We also need to further evaluate whether changes in mood also change gait speed, stride length and step length.This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2018 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.