Abstract

We know that performing simultaneous cognitive tasks during locomotion results in reduced performance on either or both tasks, however the role of the cognitive system in the execution of last-minute changes to ongoing adaptive locomotor tasks is not fully understood. Nineteen participants were initially cued to circumvent to left, right, or step over an obstacle while an auditory cognitive task was simultaneously presented. In half of the trials, no change in avoidance strategy was required; in the remaining trials, participants were visually cued two steps in advance to execute a new circumvention strategy. Participants decreased gait velocity and increased cognitive task response times when executing changes in strategy, highlighting the important role the cognitive system plays in these complex tasks.

摘要

我们知道，在运动过程中同时执行认知任务会导致其中一项或两项任务的性能下降，但是认知系统在执行对正在进行的自适应运动任务的最后一刻更改中的作用尚不完全清楚。最初提示 19 名参与者在同时呈现听觉认知任务的同时绕过障碍物向左、向右或跨过障碍物。在一半的试验中，不需要改变回避策略；在剩余的试验中，参与者提前两步获得视觉提示，以执行新的规避策略。参与者在执行策略变化时降低了步态速度并增加了认知任务响应时间，突出了认知系统在这些复杂任务中的重要作用。