Author

Krista Davie

Date of Award

2011

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Program

Health and Rehabilitation Sciences

Supervisor

Dr. Andrew Johnson

Second Advisor

Dr. Janis Oram Cardy

Abstract

Performing two tasks in dual-task situations is a requirement in activities of daily living. An inability to dual-task is demonstrated generally by diminished performance on one or both of the tasks. Performing a verbal task can produce a reduced ability to perform a gait task and to maintain balance. Impairment on either of these postural tasks can increase the likelihood of falling, particularly among older adults. Dual-task interference has been demonstrated to be significantly impacted by a number of characteristics of secondary verbal tasks (including dimensions of both motoric and cognitive complexity]. Previous studies have not, however, exerted sufficient control over articulation or cognitive-linguistic processing, within the secondary task. The studies presented in this thesis used a dual-task paradigm that manipulated word length, oral-motor movement, articulation, and lexicality, within a verbal task, while assessing the affects of dual-task interference on both gait and balance. A sample of healthy young adults (pilotstudy: 15 women; gait and balance studies: 20womenand20 men) were asked to repeat a series of verbal stimuli while walking approximately 6m, and while maintaining an independent upright posture for 10 seconds at a time. Participants also were asked to complete a test of perceptual speed, as an indicator of information processing speed, separate from the dual-task protocol. Results suggest that oral-motor movement, articulation, and lexicality had

unique effects on dual-task performance, with women demonstrating significantly more dual-task interference than men. Furthermore, results suggested that the ability to dual-task is directly related to an individual’s information processing capacity. Results supported the capacity-sharing model of dual-task interference

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