Effect of an Aquatic Environment on Dual-Task Performance in Older Adults

Background: Older adults tend to have difficulty maintaining balance. It has been suggested that the aquatic environment may provide a safer and more challenging alternative to land for balance training. It has also been suggested that the performance of a dual cognitive-balance task paradigm may increase the competition for cortical resources needed to maintain balance. There is a need to evaluate the influence of an aquatic environment on the performance of a combined cognitive and motor task paradigm in older adults. Purpose: To assess the effects of an aquatic environment on the performance of cognitive and motor tasks in older adults using a dual-task paradigm. Methods: Twenty-one older adults performed a cognitive and motor task separately and simultaneously on land and in water. Cognitive and motor performance measures were number of listening errors and 95% ellipse area center of pressure (balance), respectively. Results: A significant main effect for environment on listening errors was observed (p = 0.001, effect size [ES] = 0.82). Participants made 37.5% (single-task) and 72.3% (dual-task) fewer listening errors when performing the auditory vigilance test in water versus land respectively. A significant main effect of environment on CoP sway was observed (p = 0.003, ES = -1.19). CoP sway areas were 58.3% (single-task) and 64.4% (dual-task) greater in water versus land respectively. Conclusion: Results suggest that older adults make fewer ‘cognitive’ errors when immersed in water compared to on land. This may be beneficial to older adults who are involved in aquatic-based exercise and rehabilitation

Data_Dryad

.mat files with coord data, matlab scripts and excel work sheet

Bruintjes_Data

Raw data behavioural and physiological measurement

Media 5: Complex rotational dynamics of multiple spheroidal particles in a circularly polarized, dual beam trap

Originally published in Optics Express on 23 March 2015 (oe-23-6-7273

Data_for_Parsing_the_life-shortening_effects_of_dietary_protein

This folder contains 8 txt files with all the data to reproduce the results: Survival data from all diets; Lipid proportion and Foraging effort for Full mixture diets; Weight of food pellets for Full mixture diets

Additional file 2: of A novel design process for selection of attributes for inclusion in discrete choice experiments: case study exploring variation in clinical decision-making about thrombolysis in the treatment of acute ischaemic stroke

DCE pilot testing protocol. Interview schedule for cognitive interviewing and pilot testing of DCE. (DOCX 18 kb

Additional file 4: of A novel design process for selection of attributes for inclusion in discrete choice experiments: case study exploring variation in clinical decision-making about thrombolysis in the treatment of acute ischaemic stroke

Operational definitions for variable attribute levels in the DCE. Table presenting definitions used for attribute levels in the DCE. (DOCX 13 kb

Participant flow through the trial.

<p>“Withdrawn” indicates participants’ withdrawal from trial and all associated research activities. “Did not complete” indicates participants who missed 13-wk follow up assessment but returned for the 26-wk post test.</p

Regression of outcome measures at 26-wk post-test on the number of sessions of iCST attended, adjusting for BL outcome measures, marital status, centre, age, and anticholinesterase inhibitors.

<p>Regression of outcome measures at 26-wk post-test on the number of sessions of iCST attended, adjusting for BL outcome measures, marital status, centre, age, and anticholinesterase inhibitors.</p

Outcome measures at 26-wk post-test by iCST versus TAU: Complete case analysis, adjusting for BL outcome measures, marital status, centre, age, and anticholinesterase inhibitors.

<p>Outcome measures at 26-wk post-test by iCST versus TAU: Complete case analysis, adjusting for BL outcome measures, marital status, centre, age, and anticholinesterase inhibitors.</p