Age-related changes in the auditory reactiontime of healthy elderly person while walking

Abstract

[Purpose] This study aimed to investigate the age-related changes in the attentional demand of walking in healthy elderly people by assessing auditory reaction time during walking in several age groups. [Subjects] The participants were 59 healthy elderly people with no history of falls in the previous 12 months, who were divided into 4 age groups (65-69, 70-74, 75-79, and 80-84). [Methods] In the dual-task condition, participants were asked to perform an auditory reaction time task while walking indoors; the Timed Up-and-Go Test, 10-meter walk time and Trail Making Test Part A were also measured. We compared the reaction times and the stride-to-stride time coefficients of variation between the single- and dual-task conditions. [Results] We found that mean reaction time and stride time coefficient of variation increased significantly in the dual task. However, in both task conditions, neither the reaction time nor strideto- stride time coefficient of variation differed significantly among the age groups. [Conclusion] These findings indicate that an auditory reaction time task can affect walking as a second task in the healthy elderly, and that aging has minimal effects on the attentional demand of walking in this population.