Reaction Time of Healthy Older Adults Is Reduced While Walking Fast. Issue 6 (2nd November 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Richer, Natalie; Polskaia, Nadia; Raymond, Benjamin; Desjardins, Brigit; Lajoie, Yves
• Is Part Of: Journal of motor behavior. Volume 51:Issue 6(2019)
• Page Start: 600
• Page End: 602
• Publication Date: 2019-11-02
• Subjects: Walking speed -- older adults -- reaction time -- attentional demands; Human mechanics -- Periodicals; Movement, Psychology of -- Periodicals; Motor Activity -- Periodicals; Motor Skills -- Periodicals; Bewegingsleer; Mécanique humaine -- Périodiques; Psychomotricité -- Périodiques; 612.705
• DOI: 10.1080/00222895.2018.1538097
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0022-2895

Abstract

Abstract: Attentional requirements of walking at various speeds in older adults were examined. Twenty healthy older adults (69.9 ± 2.77 years; 8 males) were asked to walk a distance of 10 m at a self-selected speed as well as 30% quicker and 30% slower. Concurrently, reaction time (RT) was evaluated by having participants respond as fast as possible to randomly presented auditory stimuli. Results reveal that an accelerated walking speed generated faster RT than slow and self-selected speeds, while no difference was found between the latter. Faster RTs during an accelerated walking speed may have been precipitated by the reduced equilibrium demands of the task.