Name:Clara, Ziane

School/Affiliation:University of Montreal, Montreal, Canada

Co-Authors:Simone, Dalla Bella

Virtual or In-person:In-person

Abstract:

Performing motor and cognitive tasks simultaneously is more challenging for older than young adults, leading to falls and injuries while walking. Rhythmic auditory cues (RAC) while walking can decrease motor variability. The improvement may be linked to the coupling of cortical activity to the beat, which has been observed while listening to RAC and is strengthened by finger tapping to the cues. It is however unknown if such coupling happens during daily activities like walking. Additionally, cognitive functions modulate RAC’s benefits on motor performance and may thus impact neural coupling. Our objective was to investigate neural coupling during tapping and walking and its link to cognition in older individuals. Eleven healthy adults aged 65+ performed tapping and walking tasks with and without RAC, while we recorded EEG. These conditions were repeated while performing a dual task (auditory oddball). Moreover, participants were submitted to the Test of Attentional Performance to assess cognitive functions. The results showed that motor variability was higher while tapping than walking. Variability was also higher in dual than in single tasks, but only when tapping. Neural coupling was stronger while walking than tapping. Coupling was also stronger in single than in dual tasks. Interestingly, greater working memory was associated with increased effects of dual tasking on neural coupling. These preliminary results suggest that cognition modulates neural coupling to the beat and that timing-control mechanisms may be partly movement- and/or effector-specific.