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11:00 - 12:30
Parallel sessions 2
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11:00 - 12:30
Room: C-Building - N14
Chair/s:
Christina Artemenko
In our modern aging society, individuals are required to maintain functional independence well into old age. Cognitive deficits associated with aging can therefore have a detrimental impact on everyday functioning and quality of life. Hence, it is essential to better understand how cognitive processes change during healthy and pathological aging.

This symposium addresses this question by examining age-related changes in associative memory, arithmetic processing, and multitasking. Complementing experimental research methods, event-related potentials and multinomial modeling approaches were employed to identify the underlying mechanisms subserving cognitive functions. The presented studies involve a wide range of samples, spanning from non-clinical samples (healthy older adults) compared to younger adults to subclinical (older adults with subjective cognitive decline) and clinical samples (Parkinson’s disease with or without cognitive impairment) compared to healthy controls. This methodological variety reflects the opportunities and challenges in the research field on cognitive aging.
Submission 258
Aging and Cohort Effects on Dual-Task Resource Allocation in Older Adults
SymposiumTalk-05
Presented by: Tian Zhou
Tian Zhou 1, Elisa Straub 1, Andrea Kiesel 1, Dominic Gehring 2, Urs Granacher 2, Aaron Haslbauer 3, Reto W. Kressig 3, 4, Roland Rössler 3, 5
1 Institute for Psychology, University of Freiburg, Germany
2 Institute for Sport and Sport Science, University of Freiburg, Germany
3 University Department of Geriatric Medicine Felix Platter, University of Basel, Switzerland
4 Department of Clinical Research, University of Basel, Switzerland
5 Department of Sport, Exercise and Health, University of Basel, Switzerland

Background:

Age-related declines in motor and cognitive systems increase dual-task interference costs (DTCs) during simultaneous walking and talking. Cohort differences (as birth year) may further shape how older adults allocate cognitive resources, with the "Stops Walking When Talking" (SWWT) strategy potentially serving as a compensatory mechanism.

Method:

In a cross-sectional sample of 4,443 healthy older adults (mean age = 74.8 years, range = 60.05-97.43), we examined DTCs using the Basel Motor Cognition Dual Task Paradigm. Participants walked at a preferred speed (single task) and performed semantic (animal naming) and working memory (counting backwards) tasks during dual-task walking. Generalized linear mixed models assessed the independent effects of age and cohort (birth year) on motor and cognitive DTCs, with SWWT as a potential compensatory predictor.

Results:

Both age and cohort independently predicted larger DTCs. Older participants showed higher motor DTCs (β = 0.04, p = .016), while earlier birth cohorts exhibited greater cognitive DTCs (β = 0.12, p = .004). The SWWT strategy was not associated with DTCs but was more frequently observed in older participants and earlier cohorts, suggesting it serves as a compensatory response to increased interference rather than a preventive mechanism.

Conclusion:

Aging and cohort effects jointly exacerbate dual-task interference, with distinct patterns of resource allocation across generations. The SWWT strategy appears to be an adaptive response to manage cognitive-motor interference, highlighting the need to consider both chronological age and cohort effects.