Fuhrman Susan I, Redfern Mark S, Jennings J Richard, Furman Joseph M
Department of Otolaryngology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
J Vestib Res. 2015;25(2):47-55. doi: 10.3233/VES-150546.
This study investigated whether spatial aspects of an information processing task influence dual-task interference. Two groups (Older/Young) of healthy adults participated in dual-task experiments. Two auditory information processing tasks included a frequency discrimination choice reaction time task (non-spatial task) and a lateralization choice reaction time task (spatial task). Postural tasks included combinations of standing with eyes open or eyes closed on either a fixed floor or a sway-referenced floor. Reaction times and postural sway via center of pressure were recorded. Baseline measures of reaction time and sway were subtracted from the corresponding dual-task results to calculate reaction time task costs and postural task costs. Reaction time task cost increased with eye closure (p = 0.01), sway-referenced flooring (p < 0.0001), and the spatial task (p = 0.04). Additionally, a significant (p = 0.05) task x vision x age interaction indicated that older subjects had a significant vision X task interaction whereas young subjects did not. However, when analyzed by age group, the young group showed minimal differences in interference for the spatial and non-spatial tasks with eyes open, but showed increased interference on the spatial relative to non-spatial task with eyes closed. On the contrary, older subjects demonstrated increased interference on the spatial relative to the non-spatial task with eyes open, but not with eyes closed. These findings suggest that visual-spatial interference may occur in older subjects when vision is used to maintain posture.
本研究调查了信息处理任务的空间方面是否会影响双重任务干扰。两组（老年/青年）健康成年人参与了双重任务实验。两项听觉信息处理任务包括频率辨别选择反应时任务（非空间任务）和定位选择反应时任务（空间任务）。姿势任务包括在固定地板或摇摆参考地板上睁眼或闭眼站立的组合。记录反应时间和通过压力中心的姿势摇摆。从相应的双重任务结果中减去反应时间和摇摆的基线测量值，以计算反应时间任务成本和姿势任务成本。反应时间任务成本随着闭眼（p = 0.01）、摇摆参考地板（p < 0.0001）和空间任务（p = 0.04）而增加。此外，一个显著的（p = 0.05）任务×视觉×年龄交互作用表明，老年受试者有显著的视觉×任务交互作用，而年轻受试者没有。然而，按年龄组分析时，年轻组在睁眼时空间任务和非空间任务的干扰差异最小，但闭眼时空间任务的干扰相对于非空间任务增加。相反，老年受试者在睁眼时空间任务相对于非空间任务的干扰增加，但闭眼时没有。这些发现表明，当视觉用于维持姿势时，老年受试者可能会出现视觉空间干扰。
