The effects of concurrent cognitive tasks on postural sway in healthy subjects


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Mujdeci B., Türkyılmaz D., Yagcioglu S., AKSOY S.

BRAZILIAN JOURNAL OF OTORHINOLARYNGOLOGY, cilt.82, sa.1, ss.3-10, 2016 (SCI-Expanded) identifier identifier identifier

Özet

Introduction: Keeping balance of the upright stance is a highly practiced daily task for healthy adults and is effectively performed without overt attentional control in most.

Introduction: Keeping balance of the upright stance is a highly practiced daily task for healthy adults and is effectively performed without overt attentional control in most.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of concurrent cognitive tasks on postural sway in healthy participants.

Methods: This was a prospective study. 20 healthy volunteer subjects were included. The cognitive and balance tasks were performed separately and then, concurrently. Postural control task consisted of 6 conditions (C) of the Sensory Organization Test. The cognitive task consisted of digit rehearsal task of varying presentation and varying levels of difficulty.

Results: A statistically significant difference was noted between dual task and no task for C1, C2, C3 and C4 Sensory Organization Test scores (p < 0.05). There was no statistically significant difference between dual task versus non-task for C5, C6 and combined Sensory Organization Test scores (p > 0.05).

Conclusion: During dual task, increase has been determined in postural sway for C1, C2, C3 and C4 for all presentation modes and difficulty levels of the cognitive tasks.