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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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