Observing prioritization effects on cognition and gait: the effect of increased cognitive load on cognitively healthy older adults' dual-task performance. Gait and Posture, 53, pp. 139-144. (doi:10.1016/j.gaitpost.2017.01.018) This is the author's final accepted version.There may be differences between this version and the published version. Previous studies exploring the effects of attention-prioritization on cognitively healthy older adults' gait and cognitive dual task (DT) performance have shown DT cost in gait outcomes but inconsistent effects on cognitive performance, which may reflect task difficulty (the cognitive load). This study aimed to identify whether changing the cognitive load during a walking and counting DT improved the challenge/sensitivity of the cognitive task to observe prioritization effects on concurrent gait and cognitive performance outcomes. Seventy-two cognitively healthy older adults (Mean = 73 years) walked 15m, counted backwards in 3sand 7s as single tasks (ST), and concurrently walked and counted backwards as DTs.Attention-prioritization was examined in Prioritizing Walking (PW) and Prioritizing Counting (PC) DT conditions. Dual-task performance costs (DTC) were calculated for number of correct cognitive responses (CCR) in the counting tasks, and step-time variability and velocity in the gait task. All DT conditions showed a benefit (DTB) for cognitive outcomes with trade-off cost to gait. In the Serial 3s task, the cognitive DTBs increased in PC over the PW condition (p<.05), with a greater cost to walking velocity (p<.05). DT effects were more pronounced in the Serial 7s with a lower cognitive DTB when PC than when PW, (p<.05) with no trade-off increase in cost to gait outcomes (p<.05). The findings suggest that increased cognitive load during a gait and cognitive DT produces more pronounced gait measures of attention-prioritization in cognitively healthy older adults. A cognitive load effect was also observed in the cognitive outcomes, with unexpected results.
Patterns of cognitive change over micro-longitudinal timescales (i.e., ranging from hours to days) are associated with a wide range of age-related health and functional outcomes. However, practical issues of conducting high-frequency assessments make investigations of micro-longitudinal cognition costly and burdensome to run. One way of addressing this is to develop cognitive assessments that can be performed by older adults, in their own homes, without a researcher being present. Here, we address the question of whether reliable and valid cognitive data can be collected over micro-longitudinal timescales using unsupervised cognitive tests.In study 1, 48 older adults completed two touchscreen cognitive tests, on three occasions, in controlled conditions, alongside a battery of standard tests of cognitive functions. In study 2, 40 older adults completed the same two computerized tasks on multiple occasions, over three separate week-long periods, in their own homes, without a researcher present. Here, the tasks were incorporated into a wider touchscreen system (Novel Assessment of Nutrition and Ageing (NANA)) developed to assess multiple domains of health and behavior. Standard tests of cognitive function were also administered prior to participants using the NANA system.Performance on the two “NANA” cognitive tasks showed convergent validity with, and similar levels of reliability to, the standard cognitive battery in both studies. Completion and accuracy rates were also very high. These results show that reliable and valid cognitive data can be collected from older adults using unsupervised computerized tests, thus affording new opportunities for the investigation of cognitive.
We have identified self-reported scales of sadness and tiredness as sensitive measures which have the potential to predict future depression status in older adults, partially addressing the problem of underdiagnosis.
Abstract:The 'Novel Assessment of Nutrition and Ageing' (NANA) toolkit is a computerized system for collecting longitudinal information about older adults' health and behavior. Here, we describe the validation of six items for measuring older adult's self-reported mood and appetite as part of the NANA system. In Study 1, 48 community-living older adults (aged 65-89 years) completed NANA measures of their current mood and appetite alongside standard paper measures, on three occasions, in a laboratory setting. In Study 2, 40 community-living older adults (aged 64-88 years) completed daily NANA measures of momentary mood and appetite in their own homes, unsupervised, alongside additional measures of health and behavior, over three 7-day periods. The NANA measures were significantly correlated with standard measures of mood and appetite, and showed stability over time.They show utility for tracking mood and appetite longitudinally, and for better understanding links with other aspects of health and behavior.
Technology is increasingly being recognised as a valuable contributor to supporting people to live and age well. As such there are increasing opportunities for working with older adults to create technologies – both devices and applications – that they want to use. The NANA (Novel Assessment of Nutrition and Ageing) project set out to create a new technology toolkit for older adults to use at home to keep track of their diet, mood, cognitive function and physical activity. This was made possible by whole project management, transdisciplinary working and partnership with older adults. This chapter describes the activities undertaken to create and validate the NANA toolkit and the implications of this work.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.