Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://bura.brunel.ac.uk/handle/2438/32081
Title: Reduced cognitive resources induces risky stepping strategies in older adults
Authors: Cocks, AJ
Young, WR
Ellmers, TJ
Keywords: cross-steps;attention;dual-task;cognitive load;fall-risk
Issue Date: 26-Sep-2025
Publisher: Elsevier
Citation: Cocks, A.J., Young, W.R. and Ellmers, T.J. (2025) ‘Reduced cognitive resources induces risky stepping strategies in older adults’, Gait & Posture, 0 (in press, corrected proof), pp. 1 - 19. doi: 10.1016/j.gaitpost.2025.109989.
Abstract: Background: Falls frequently occur during situations that require a transfer or shift of bodyweight (e.g., stepping around an obstacle or turning). One contributor to falls in this scenario is a risky stepping strategy known as ‘cross-stepping’, whereby the feet cross over during the step. However, contributors to this potentially dangerous stepping strategy are not understood. This study examined whether reduced cognitive resources are a contributor to ‘cross-stepping’. Methods: Fifty-one older adults without neurological, musculoskeletal, or major cognitive impairment participated. Participants completed a modified multitarget stepping task while traversing a GAITRite walkway containing stepping targets forming paths of various colors. Participants walked designated color paths under single-task (normal walking) and a dual-task (serial subtraction) condition designed to reduce cognitive resources available for walking. The number of cross-steps and stepping errors were assessed. Cognitive performance, gait velocity, and double-limb support (% of gait cycle) were also collected. Results: During single-task conditions, measures of executive function (set-shifting)/attention (Trail Making Test–Part B) independently predicted greater cross-steps (B=0.01, p = .025). Walking under dual-task conditions significantly increased cross-steps (p = .001). Gait velocity also significantly decreased when compared to single-task, whilst global stepping errors and percentage of the gait cycle spent in double-limb support significantly increased. Significance: These findings suggest that cross-steps can result from reduced cognitive resources being allocated to movement planning and execution. Future research should seek to explore if the relationship between cognition and cross-stepping is causally linked to increased fall risk.
Description: Data Availability: The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.
URI: https://bura.brunel.ac.uk/handle/2438/32081
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gaitpost.2025.109989
ISSN: 0966-6362
Other Identifiers: ORCiD: Adam J. Cocks https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7793-3827
ORCiD: William R. Young https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5064-8601
ORCiD: Toby J. Ellmers https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9595-6360
Article number: 109989
Appears in Collections:Dept of Life Sciences Embargoed Research Papers

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