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Exp Brain Res (2013) 231:219229 DOI 10.1007/s00221-013-3684-0
RESEARCH ARTICLE
Attentional focus inuences postural control and reaction time performances only during challenging dualtask conditionsin healthy young adults
Anthony Remaud Sbastien Boyas Yves Lajoie Martin Bilodeau
Abstract The dual-task paradigm has previously been used to investigate the attentional demands associated with postural control. Previous studies have identied both the focus of attention and the difculty of a postural task as potential factors inuencing dual-task performance. The aim of this study was to examine how the instructed focus of attention inuences dual-task performance during quiet standing tasks of various levels of difculty. Thirteen young adults participated in two testing sessions consisting of standing as still as possible on a force platform in different postural conditions, while simultaneously performing a simple reaction time (RT) task. Postural task difculty was manipulated by various combinations of three bases of support (feet together, tandem and single leg) and two visual conditions (eyes opened and closed). Participants were instructed to focus on either their balance or their RT performance, depending on the testing session. When comparing postural control with respect to session focus, anteriorposterior sway velocity decreased with the addition of the simple RT task when the focus was on balance, but only during the more difcult dual-task conditions. In contrast, sway area and mediallateral sway velocity did not change
A. Remaud (*) S. Boyas M. Bilodeau
Aging and Movement Laboratory, Bruyre Research Institute, 43 Bruyre Street, Ottawa, ON K1N 5C8, Canada e-mail: [email protected]
S. Boyas Y. Lajoie M. Bilodeau
Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Human Kinetics, University of Ottawa, 125 University Avenue, Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5, Canada
M. Bilodeau
Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Ottawa, 451 Smyth Road, Ottawa, ON K1H 8M5, Canada
Received: 30 January 2013 / Accepted: 12 August 2013 / Published online: 31 August 2013 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2013
between the two instructed focus sessions. Participants responded faster in all dual-task conditions when focusing on RT performance than on balance. The modied attention allocation index indicated that participants ability to modulate their allocation of attentional resources to respond positively to instruction was more pronounced in the most challenging postural condition. The present ndings could have important implications for the interpretation of dual-task performance...