Age-Related Deficits of Dual-Task Walking: A Review

This review summarizes our present knowledge about elderly people's problems with walking. We highlight the plastic changes in the brain that allow a partial compensation of these age-related deficits and discuss the associated costs and limitations. Experimental evidence for the crucial role o...

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Main Authors: Rainer Beurskens, Otmar Bock
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2012-01-01
Series:Neural Plasticity
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2012/131608
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author Rainer Beurskens
Otmar Bock
author_facet Rainer Beurskens
Otmar Bock
author_sort Rainer Beurskens
collection DOAJ
description This review summarizes our present knowledge about elderly people's problems with walking. We highlight the plastic changes in the brain that allow a partial compensation of these age-related deficits and discuss the associated costs and limitations. Experimental evidence for the crucial role of executive functions and working memory is presented, leading us to the hypothesis that it is difficult for seniors to coordinate two streams of visual information, one related to navigation through visually defined space, and the other to a visually demanding second task. This hypothesis predicts that interventions aimed at the efficiency of visuovisual coordination in the elderly will ameliorate their deficits in dual-task walking.
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spelling doaj-art-7e6d63abb5f94aedb7d9db4a91797af72025-08-20T03:35:34ZengWileyNeural Plasticity2090-59041687-54432012-01-01201210.1155/2012/131608131608Age-Related Deficits of Dual-Task Walking: A ReviewRainer Beurskens0Otmar Bock1Institute of Physiology and Anatomy, German Sport University, Am Sportpark Müngersdorf 6, 50933 Cologne, GermanyInstitute of Physiology and Anatomy, German Sport University, Am Sportpark Müngersdorf 6, 50933 Cologne, GermanyThis review summarizes our present knowledge about elderly people's problems with walking. We highlight the plastic changes in the brain that allow a partial compensation of these age-related deficits and discuss the associated costs and limitations. Experimental evidence for the crucial role of executive functions and working memory is presented, leading us to the hypothesis that it is difficult for seniors to coordinate two streams of visual information, one related to navigation through visually defined space, and the other to a visually demanding second task. This hypothesis predicts that interventions aimed at the efficiency of visuovisual coordination in the elderly will ameliorate their deficits in dual-task walking.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2012/131608
spellingShingle Rainer Beurskens
Otmar Bock
Age-Related Deficits of Dual-Task Walking: A Review
Neural Plasticity
title Age-Related Deficits of Dual-Task Walking: A Review
title_full Age-Related Deficits of Dual-Task Walking: A Review
title_fullStr Age-Related Deficits of Dual-Task Walking: A Review
title_full_unstemmed Age-Related Deficits of Dual-Task Walking: A Review
title_short Age-Related Deficits of Dual-Task Walking: A Review
title_sort age related deficits of dual task walking a review
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2012/131608
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