Fear of falling and activities of daily living function: mediation effect of dual-task ability.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to explore the association between fear of falling (FOF), dual-task ability during a mobility task, and the activities of daily living (ADL) in a sample of older adults. METHODS: Seventy-six older adults (mean age M = 70.87 ± 5.16 years) participated in the study. Data on FOF (using the Falls Self-Efficacy Scale-International), walking ability during both single- and dual-task performances and ADL were collected. RESULTS: Mediation analysis demonstrated the mediation effect of dual-task ability (ß = 0.238, p = 0.011) between FOF and ADL level (ß = 0.559, p < 0.001). Moreover, significantly lower performances were observed during dual-task condition [F (2, 73) = 7.386, p < 0.001], and lower ADL levels were also found in older adults with FOF [F (2, 73) = 13.734, p < 0.001]. CONCLUSION: The study underlines the relationship between FOF, dual-task ability and ADL level. These results could be used to develop specific intervention programmes for successful ageing.

Age-related differences in dual task performance: A cross-sectional study on women.

AIM: Simultaneous performances of motor and attention-demanding tasks are common in activities of everyday life. The present cross-sectional study examined the changes and age-related differences on mobility performance with an additional cognitive or motor task, and evaluated the relative dual-task cost (DTC) on the motor performance in young, middle-aged and older women. METHODS: A total of 30 young (mean age 25.12 ± 3.00 years), 30 middle-aged (mean age 47.82 ± 5.06 years) and 30 older women (mean age 72.74 ± 5.95 years) were recruited. Participants carried out: (i) single task: Timed Up & Go Test; (ii) cognitive dual-task: Timed Up & Go Test while counting backwards by three; (iii) manual dual-task: Timed Up & Go Test while carrying a glass of water. A repeated measures anova with between-factor as age groups and within-factor as tasks was carried out to assess the effect of aging on the performance of mobility tasks. DTC was calculated as ([performance in single-task - performance in dual-task] / performance in single task) × 100%. One-way ancova were carried out to compare the DTC among the three age groups. RESULTS: A significant interaction between age groups and task (F4,172 = 6.716, P < 0.001, partial η2 = 0.135) was observed. Specifically, older women showed a worse mobility performance under dual-task condition compared with young and middle-aged groups. Furthermore, DTC differences in cognitive task were observed in older women compared with younger and middle-aged women (F2,86 = 7.649, P < 0.001, partial η2 = 0.151), but not in manual task. CONCLUSION: Dual-task conditions might affect mobility performance differently across the lifespan, and could be particularly challenging in older women. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2017; 17: 315-321.

Neuromotor training in older women living in long-term care setting: a pilot study.

This pilot study identified the effect and the feasibility of neuromotor training in a group of ageing women living in a long-term care setting. Thirty-five older women (mean age, 84.18 years; SD = 5.92 years) participated in the study. Twenty women were in the intervention group, and 15 women were in the control group. Data on mobility, activities of daily living (ADL) and fear of falling were collected before and after the 16-week training period. The neuromotor training program was based on concepts from motor control and motor learning. All participants completed the training program, and no adverse events occurred. The intervention group showed steady and significant improvements in mobility, ADL and fear of falling after the intervention, but the control group did not exhibit significant changes. Moreover, mediation analysis demonstrated the role of mobility as a mediator between participation in physical training and fear of falling.

Changes in temporal parameters during performance of the Step Test in older adults.

The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to examine the changes in the temporal parameters measured during the performance of the Step Test, to evaluate the relationship between age and these measurements and to determine their relationships to aerobic endurance, muscular strength and mobility in a sample of older adults. Eighty-eight older adults (mean age = 73.0 years, SD = 5.4) participated in the study. During the Step Test, we collected measurements of the following temporal parameters using the Optojump system: step number, support time and executive time. We also evaluated the performance of the Six-Minute Walk Test, the 30-Second Chair Rise Test and the Timed Up and Go Test. We observed a significant decrease in the step number and an increase in the support time and executive time (p = .001) during each minute of the test. The results revealed that the relationship between age and Step Test performance was attenuated when we controlled for potential confounding variables. Controlling for age, gender and BMI, variance in support time during the Step Test was accounted for by variance in 30-Second Chair Rise Test performance (partial r = -.224). Moreover, variance in executive time was accounted for by variance in 30-Second Chair Rise Test (partial r = .234) and Timed Up and Go Test performance (partial r = -.259). Understanding the factors that are associated with the performance of the Step Test may provide new insights into the development of specific intervention programmes for older adults.