Dual-Task Effects of Walking on Rate of Speech
Abstract
The dual-task effect of walking on rate of speech was measured in 32 healthy young adults. The influence of word meaning and sex on rate of speech was also investigated. A separate inspection time task was used to determine whether speed of information processing (SIP), predicted the degree of dual-task interference of walking on rate of speech. This study revealed that rate of speech was influenced by dual-task interference effects due to the performance of a simultaneous gait task. Pause times suggested a sex effect, demonstrating that while walking, women spent significantly less time pausing between verbal stimuli than men. Articulation rates suggested a lexical effect, demonstrating an increase in dual-task interference when participants repeated real-words rather than non-words while walking. Results revealed that SIP did not predict the degree of dual-task interference on rate of speech. This study adds to our understanding of the dual-task effects of walking on rate of speech in healthy, young adults.