Cognitive challenge as a probe to expose sex- and age-related differences during static contractions

Hugo M Pereira; Sandra K Hunter

doi:10.3389/fphys.2023.1166218

Cognitive challenge as a probe to expose sex- and age-related differences during static contractions

Front Physiol. 2023 May 16:14:1166218. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2023.1166218. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Hugo M Pereira¹, Sandra K Hunter²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Health and Exercise Science, The University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, United States.
² Department of Physical Therapy, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI, United States.

Abstract

Despite activities of daily living being frequently performed simultaneously with a cognitive task, motor function is often investigated in isolation, which can hinder the applicability of findings. This brief review presents evidence that 1) performing a cognitive challenge simultaneously with a motor task can negatively impact force steadiness and fatigability of limb muscles during a static contraction, 2) the negative impact on old adults (>65 years old), particularly older women is greater than young when a cognitive challenge is simultaneously performed with a static motor task, 3) age-related mechanisms potentially explain impairments in motor performance in the presence of a cognitive challenge, and 4) the mechanisms for the age-related decrements in motor performance can be distinct between men and women. These observations are highly relevant to the older adults, given the increased risk of accidents and injury when a motor task is performed with a high cognitive-demand task, especially in light of the expanding reliance on an aging workforce.

Keywords: aging; cognitive stress; dual-task; fatigue; force steadiness; gender difference; motor unit; sex difference.

Publication types

Review

Grants and funding

HP received financial support from the Office of the Vice President for Research and Partnerships and the Office of the Provost, the University of Oklahoma—Norman Campus. SH was supported by the National Institute on Aging (R15-AG-039697 and R21-AG-045766).