Effects of A Dual-Task Intervention in Postural Control and Cognitive Performance in Adolescents

Abstract

The aim was to assess dual- versus single-task training for motor performance and cognitive performance in adolescents. Two experiments were performed. In the first, 30 adolescents were randomized to three groups to determine the effect of dual-task difficulty on postural control: α-scaling and root mean square (RMS). In the second, 20 adolescents were randomized to two groups to determine the effect of dual-task practice to improve working memory. RMS in the post-test was lower than the pre-test in both dual-task groups, while α-scaling was lower in post-test than pre-test only in the high-difficulty dual-task group. A practice effect was observed on the percentage of correct answers only in the dual-task group (p = 0.035). Thus, dual-task training could enhance motor and cognitive performance more than single-task training.

Keywords:

• Cognitive load
• dual task
• motor learning
• postural control

Acknowledgments

The authors wish to thank José Francisco García Moreno for providing the stabilometer used in this study.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.