Manual Tracking Impairs Postural Stability in Older Adults

Introduction: Older adults show increased postural sway and a greater risk of falls when completing activities with high cognitive demands. While dual-task approaches have clarified an association between cognitive processes and postural control, it is unclear how manual ability, which is also required for the successful completion of cognitively-demanding tasks (e.g. putting a key into a lock), affects this relationship. Methods: Kinematic technology was used to explore the relationship between postural sway and manual control in healthy younger and older adults. Participants remained standing to complete a visual-motor tracking task on a tablet computer. Root Mean Square tracking error measured manual performance, and a balance board measured deviations in Centre of Pressure as a marker of postural sway. Results: Older adults displayed poorer manual accuracy and increased postural sway across all testing conditions. Conclusions: Cognitive capacity can interact with multiple task demands, and in turn affect postural sway in older adults. Improving our understanding of factors that influence postural control will assist falls-prevention efforts and inform clinical practice.