TY - JOUR
T1 - Normal aging increases postural preparation errors
T2 - Evidence from a two-choice response task with balance constraints
AU - Verrel, Julius
AU - Lisofsky, Nina
AU - Kühn, Simone
AU - Lindenberger, Ulman
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2015 Elsevier B.V.
PY - 2016/2/1
Y1 - 2016/2/1
N2 - Correlational studies indicate an association between age-related decline in balance and cognitive control, but these functions are rarely addressed within a single task. In this study, we investigate adult age differences in a two-choice response task with balance constraints under three levels of response conflict. Sixteen healthy young (20-30 years) and 16 healthy older adult participants (59-74 years) were cued symbolically (letter L vs. R) to lift either the left or the right foot from the floor in a standing position. Response conflict was manipulated by task-irrelevant visual stimuli showing congruent, incongruent, or no foot lift movement. Preparatory weight shifts (PWS) and foot lift movements were recorded using force plates and optical motion capture. Older adults showed longer response times (foot lift) and more PWS errors than younger adults. Incongruent distractors interfered with performance (greater response time and PWS errors), but this compatibility effect did not reliably differ between age groups. Response time effects of age and compatibility were strongly reduced or absent in trials without PWS errors, and for the onset of the first (erroneous) PWS in trials with preparation error. In addition, in older adults only, compatibility effects in the foot lift task correlated significantly with compatibility effects in the Flanker task. The present results strongly suggest that adult age differences in response latencies in a task with balance constraints are related to age-associated increases in postural preparation errors rather than being an epiphenomenon of general slowing.
AB - Correlational studies indicate an association between age-related decline in balance and cognitive control, but these functions are rarely addressed within a single task. In this study, we investigate adult age differences in a two-choice response task with balance constraints under three levels of response conflict. Sixteen healthy young (20-30 years) and 16 healthy older adult participants (59-74 years) were cued symbolically (letter L vs. R) to lift either the left or the right foot from the floor in a standing position. Response conflict was manipulated by task-irrelevant visual stimuli showing congruent, incongruent, or no foot lift movement. Preparatory weight shifts (PWS) and foot lift movements were recorded using force plates and optical motion capture. Older adults showed longer response times (foot lift) and more PWS errors than younger adults. Incongruent distractors interfered with performance (greater response time and PWS errors), but this compatibility effect did not reliably differ between age groups. Response time effects of age and compatibility were strongly reduced or absent in trials without PWS errors, and for the onset of the first (erroneous) PWS in trials with preparation error. In addition, in older adults only, compatibility effects in the foot lift task correlated significantly with compatibility effects in the Flanker task. The present results strongly suggest that adult age differences in response latencies in a task with balance constraints are related to age-associated increases in postural preparation errors rather than being an epiphenomenon of general slowing.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84960942579&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.gaitpost.2015.12.002
DO - 10.1016/j.gaitpost.2015.12.002
M3 - Journal articles
C2 - 27004648
AN - SCOPUS:84960942579
SN - 0966-6362
VL - 44
SP - 143
EP - 148
JO - Gait and Posture
JF - Gait and Posture
ER -