Association between the level of attention and dual‐task costs on postural sway and cognitive yield in children, adolescents, and young adults. Issue 3 (13th February 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Pavão, Sílvia Leticia; Lima, Camila R. G.; Sato, Tatiana O.; Rocha, Nelci Adriana Cicuto Ferreira
• Is Part Of: International journal of developmental neuroscience. Volume 81:Issue 3(2021:May)
• Page Start: 229
• Page End: 237
• Publication Date: 2021-02-13
• Subjects: attention -- concomitant tasks -- dual‐task costs -- postural control; Developmental neurobiology -- Periodicals; Neurology -- Periodicals; Neurologie du développement -- Périodiques; Developmental neurobiology; Periodicals; 612.8
• DOI: 10.1002/jdn.10092
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0736-5748

Abstract

Abstract: Background: Postural stability requires attentional resources. Dual‐task paradigms are used to investigate the attentional demand of the studied tasks. However, no studies have been conducted on the subjects' level of attention, analyzing its association with dual‐task costs (DTC). Research question: To evaluate the attentional level and DTC on postural sway and cognitive yield in children, adolescents, and young adults, investigating age‐related differences, and to analyze if the participants' attention level is associated with DTC. Methods: Postural sway and cognitive‐yield of 30 children, 24 adolescents, and 32 young adults were assessed in a dual‐task paradigm. We calculated DTC on postural sway and cognitive yield. Attention level was tested using Psychological Battery for Attention Assessment. We tested the association between DTC and attention level. Results: Young adults showed higher DTC on area and velocity of postural sway than children and adolescents. No differences in DTC on cognitive yield were found between the groups. Children showed lower attention levels than adolescents and young adults. Attention level was negatively associated with DTC on cognitive yield in young adults. Focused Attention is responsible for 24.4% of the variance in DTC on cognitive yield. Conclusion: Age impacts DTC on postural stability, but not on cognitive performance. The smaller changes in sway found in children/adolescents when dual‐tasking, potentially reflect less developed attentional levels and postural control, which make them performing postural tasks closed to their stability boundaries, and, therefore, make them prioritize stability protection more than adults. Similar DTC on cognition between groups may reflect an equalization of the chosen cognitive task at everyone's difficulty level. The lower attention levels of children may reflect an attentional system in development, with prioritization o postural tasks when dual‐tasking to maintain stability. Although attention level increases throughout age, attention only predicted DTC on cognition. Better Focused Attention's levels predicted lower DTC on cognitive yield for young adults. Abstract : Age impacts dual‐task costs (DTC) on postural sway, but not on cognitive performance. Children and adolescents showed lower DTC on postural sway than young adults. DTC on cognitive yields was similar across age groups. Children showed lower attention levels than adolescents and young adults, and thus, seem to present an attentional system in development, with prioritization o postural tasks when dual‐tasking. Attention only predicted DTC on cognitive yield in the young adults group. Better levels of Focused Attention were predictors of lower DTC on cognitive yield for young adults during postural‐cognitive tasks.