Effects of cognitive workload on heart and locomotor rhythms coupling

•The cardiolocomotor synchronization (CLS) is considered an index of functional decay and reduction of the system.•In healthy subjects CLS is detectable in a comfortable walking and during dual task conditions.•The cognitive load required by dual tasks condition affected the CLS, showing a cognitive...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Neuroscience letters 2021-09, Vol.762, p.136140-136140, Article 136140
Main Authors: De Bartolo, Daniela, De Giorgi, Chiara, Compagnucci, Luca, Betti, Viviana, Antonucci, Gabriella, Morone, Giovanni, Paolucci, Stefano, Iosa, Marco
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Cognition - physiology
Dual task
Electrophysiology - methods
Female
Heart - physiology
Heart rhythms
Humans
Male
Physiological coupling
Walking - physiology
Walking rhythms
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Summary:•The cardiolocomotor synchronization (CLS) is considered an index of functional decay and reduction of the system.•In healthy subjects CLS is detectable in a comfortable walking and during dual task conditions.•The cognitive load required by dual tasks condition affected the CLS, showing a cognitive implication in this phenomenon. Different physiological signals could be coupled under specific conditions, in some cases related to pathologies or reductions in system complexity. Cardiac-locomotor synchronization (CLS) has been one of the most investigating coupling. The influence of a cognitive task on walking was investigated in dual-task experiments, but how different cognitive tasks may influence CLS has poorly been investigated. Twenty healthy subjects performed a dual-task walking (coupled with verbal fluency vs calculation) on a treadmill at three different speeds (comfortable speed CS; fast-speed: CS + 2 km/h; slow-speed: CS-2 km/h) while cardiac and walking rhythms were recorded using surface electrodes and a triaxial accelerometer, respectively. According to previous studies, we found a cognitive-motor interference for which cognitive performance was affected by motor exercise, but not vice-versa. We found a CLS at the baseline condition, at fast speed in both cognitive tasks, while at comfortable speed only for the verbal fluency task. In conclusion, the cardiac and locomotor rhythms were not coupled at slow speed and at comfortable speed during subtraction task. Cognitive performances generally increased at faster speed, when cardiac locomotor coupling was stronger.
ISSN:0304-3940
1872-7972
DOI:10.1016/j.neulet.2021.136140