Prefrontal cortex activation during dual task conditions in older and younger adults

Paley, Joshua (2016) Prefrontal cortex activation during dual task conditions in older and younger adults. Master Essay, University of Pittsburgh.

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Abstract

Mobility limitations in the elderly are associated with morbidities and premature death. Although the effects of age-related changes in brain structure on gait are well described, little is known about age related functional changes. The prefrontal cortex (PFC) contributes to attention, planning and complex gait tasks. We compared the PFC activation while performing simultaneous tasks (dual tasks) in young and old adults. We hypothesized that older adults have greater activation of the PFC under dual-task conditions. Healthy younger (n=15, 18-41 years) and older (n=15, 65-76 years) adults were matched on education and gender. Participants walked on an instrumented treadmill at a self-selected pace with a 0% slope while subtracting from predetermined three digit numbers by seven (Serial7). PFC activation was measured by near infrared spectroscopy and estimated by general linear models. T-tests compared Serial7 scores and PFC activation between groups. Analyses showed that older adults did not walk slower (p=0.13), and performed as well on the serial7 task (p=0.15) as the younger adults. There was a greater activation (for HbO2 t=4.1, p

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Details

Item Type:	Other Thesis, Dissertation, or Long Paper (Master Essay)
Status:	Unpublished
Creators/Authors:	Creators Email Pitt Username ORCID Paley, Joshua jop78@pitt.edu JOP78
Contributors:	Contribution Contributors Name Email Pitt Username ORCID Committee Chair Glynn, Nancy glynnn@edc.pitt.edu UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Committee Member Rosso, Andrea alr143@pitt.edu UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Committee Member Aizenstein, Howard aizensteinhj@upmc.edu UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED
Date:	27 April 2016
Date Type:	Submission
Access Restriction:	No restriction; Release the ETD for access worldwide immediately.
Publisher:	University of Pittsburgh
Institution:	University of Pittsburgh
Schools and Programs:	School of Public Health > Epidemiology
Degree:	MPH - Master of Public Health
Thesis Type:	Master Essay
Refereed:	Yes
Date Deposited:	07 Sep 2016 20:01
Last Modified:	20 Apr 2023 11:56
URI:	http://d-scholarship.pitt.edu/id/eprint/27529

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