EXECUTIVE FUNCTION, GAIT VELOCITY AND DUAL TASK IN MEXICAN ELDERLY ADULTS

Abstract

María Cristina Enríquez-Reyna, Juana Edith Cruz-Quevedo, Mirtha Idalia Celestino-Soto, María Eugenia Garza-Elizondo y Bertha Cecilia Salazar-González

Gait depends largely on cognitive function; specifically executive
function allows the individual performance of a different task while walking,
known as dual task which in turn, allows independent functionality of the elderly.
It was proposed to identify the relationships between executive function and
gait velocity at usual walk and dual task in elderly people. It used descriptive
statistics, proofs of correlation and model of analysis of multiple regression.
Participants were 202 older adults whose mean age was 70.28 years old (SD =
6.85, range 60-89 years). Inverse association was found between capacity to
direct attention and years of education, mental flexibility, walking speed and
performance on the complex dual task (rs values = -.188 to -.343, p < .01).
Gait velocity was slower while performing both dual tasks.