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Abstract
BackgroundA recent literature review emphasized the importance of assessing dual-task (DT) abilities with tasks that are representative of community ambulation. Assessing DT ability in real-life activities using standardized protocols remains difficult. Virtual reality (VR) may represent an interesting alternative enabling the exposure to different scenarios simulating community walking. To better understand dual-task abilities in everyday life activities, the aims of this study were (1) to assess locomotor and cognitive dual-task cost (DTC) during representative daily living activities, using VR, in healthy adults; and 2) to explore the influence of the nature and complexity of locomotor and cognitive tasks on DTC.MethodsFifteen healthy young adults (24.9 ± 2.7 years old, 8 women) were recruited to walk in a virtual 100 m shopping mall corridor, while remembering a 5-item list (DT condition), using an omnidirectional platform and a VR headset. Two levels of difficulty were proposed for the locomotor task (with vs. without virtual agent avoidance) and for the cognitive task (with vs. without items modification). These tasks were also performed in single task (ST) condition. Locomotor and cognitive DTC were measured by comparing performances in ST and DT conditions. Locomotor performance was characterized using walking speed, walking fluidity, and minimal distance between the participant and the virtual agent during avoidance. Cognitive performance was assessed with the number of items correctly recalled. Presence of DTC were determined with one-sample Wilcoxon signed-rank tests. To explore the influence of the tasks’ complexity and nature on DTC, a nonparametric two-way repeated measure ANOVA was performed.ResultsNo locomotor interference was measured for any of the outcomes. A cognitive DTC of 6.67% was measured (p = .017) while participants performed simultaneously both complex locomotor and cognitive tasks. A significant interaction between locomotor task complexity and cognitive task nature (p = .002) was identified on cognitive DTC.ConclusionsIn challenging locomotor and cognitive conditions, healthy young adults present DTC in cognitive accuracy, which was influenced by the locomotor task complexity task and the cognitive task nature. A similar VR-based protocol might be used to investigate DT abilities in older adults and individuals with a stroke.
Highlights
A recent literature review emphasized the importance of assessing dual-task (DT) abilities with tasks that are representative of community ambulation
Data was missing for one trial in one participant (2 trials were averaged in instead of 3 for the performance during dual task (DT) condition combining both simple locomotor and cognitive tasks)
Conclusions and future directions While performing a cognitive task while walking in a virtual environment, locomotor-related cognitive interference was observed in healthy young adults when the executed tasks were both complex
Summary
A recent literature review emphasized the importance of assessing dual-task (DT) abilities with tasks that are representative of community ambulation. To better understand dual-task abilities in everyday life activities, the aims of this study were (1) to assess locomotor and cognitive dual-task cost (DTC) during representative daily living activities, using VR, in healthy adults; and 2) to explore the influence of the nature and complexity of locomotor and cognitive tasks on DTC. People are frequently engaged in situations involving the concurrent execution of locomotor and cognitive tasks, i.e. dual task (DT). Different theories suggest that dual-task interferences (DTI) may occur as a result of attentional limitations, but it may reflect a broad variety of underlying mechanisms or processes. Older adults tend to present greater locomotor and/or cognitive performance decrements in dual-task conditions than younger adults, but smaller decrements than age-matched persons with neurological disorders [12]
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