Age-related changes in neuromotor function when performing a concurrent motor task

Aging is associated with physiological changes which can manifest as age-related slowing of voluntary movements. Dual-task conditions can magnify this slowing process in older adults. The current study describes healthy adult chewing patterns and examined effects of concurrent chewing on performance...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Experimental brain research 2020-03, Vol.238 (3), p.565-574
Main Authors: Samulski, Brittany, Prebor, Jessica, Armitano-Lago, Cortney, Morrison, Steven
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aged
Aging
Aging - physiology
Biomedical and Life Sciences
Biomedicine
Chewing
Cognition - physiology
Electromyography
Entrainment
Female
Gait
Gait - physiology
Humans
Male
Masseter muscle
Masseter Muscle - physiology
Middle Aged
Motor task performance
Neurology
Neurosciences
Older people
Oscillators
Psychomotor Performance - physiology
Reaction Time
Reaction time task
Research Article
Walking - physiology
Young Adult
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Summary:Aging is associated with physiological changes which can manifest as age-related slowing of voluntary movements. Dual-task conditions can magnify this slowing process in older adults. The current study describes healthy adult chewing patterns and examined effects of concurrent chewing on performance of simple reaction time (RT), finger tapping, and gait. Chewing rates were measured from electromyographic (EMG) activity from the masseter muscle. Stepping rates were calculated using accelerometers mounted on the lower trunk and leg. Tapping rates were collected using accelerometers secured to a fixed surface. Simple RT was attained from a purposely designed switch. Results demonstrated that older adults walked slower, tapped slower, and had slower reaction times compared to young individuals, however chew rates were similar. This dichotomy became more pronounced when motor tasks were performed at faster speeds, with the exception being chewing. Additionally, chewing altered performance of secondary motor tasks for all individuals. Strong coupling emerged between cyclical actions (i.e., chewing-gait and chewing-tapping), reflecting entrainment between the respective neural oscillators driving the actions. In contrast, RT responses slowed appreciably when chewing was performed concurrently, indicating an interference effect. Taken together, these results illustrate the contrasting effects of chewing on a secondary motor task and highlights bidirectional effects of dual tasking on performance.
ISSN:0014-4819
1432-1106
DOI:10.1007/s00221-020-05736-8