Effects of age on listening and postural control during realistic multi-tasking conditions |
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| Institution: | 1. Department of Medicine, Division of Geriatric Medicine, Sir Mortimer B. Davis - Jewish General Hospital and Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada;2. Dr. Joseph Kaufmann Chair in Geriatric Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada;3. Centre of Excellence on Longevity of McGill Integrated University Health Network, Quebec, Canada;4. Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore;5. Division of Geriatric Medicine and Geriatric Rehabilitation, Department of Medicine, Lausanne University Hospital, Switzerland;6. Faculty of Medicine, Division of Experimental Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada;7. Centre de recherche de l''Institut Universitaire de Gériatrie de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada;8. Département de psychologie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada;9. Department of Neurology, Geneva University Hospital, University of Geneva, Switzerland |
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| Abstract: | Successful performance of balance-related activities requires the effective integration of sensory, cognitive, and motor processes that can be affected by age-related changes. Of these age-related sensory changes, the effects of declines in hearing on balance have not been well-studied despite the fact that hearing loss has now been acknowledged as a significant risk factor for falls. The goal of this study was to evaluate age-related differences in a “standing while listening” task within increasingly challenging conditions resembling those that are often encountered in realistic, everyday situations.This study used a dual-task paradigm in an immersive Virtual Reality street scene setting in which postural load (firm, compliant), listening load (number of talkers), and visual load (eyes open/closed) were manipulated. A multi-talker divided attention listening task was used. Postural performance was assessed using center of pressure (COP) path length, while listening performance was assessed using spoken word recognition accuracy.Results demonstrated that age-related differences were observed in postural performance when postural demands were the highest and in listening performance when listening demands were the highest. Proportional dual-task costs were more pronounced for postural task performance compared to listening task performance and were more pronounced for older compared to younger adults. Postural dual-task costs increased as a function of increasing listening loads. Removal of visual information improved listening task performance across both groups and reduced the dual-task costs to listening in older adults when listening demands were highest (resulting in dual-task benefits).Taken together, the findings support previously documented age-related declines in postural control and auditory processing, demonstrate that increasing listening demands may result in poorer balance, particularly in older adults, and provide additional insights into the interactive effects of age-related declines when sensory, motor, and cognitive challenges are incremented factorially. |
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