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EEG measures reveal dual-task interference in postural performance in young adults

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Abstract

The study used a dual-task (DT) postural paradigm (two tasks performed at once) that included electroencephalography (EEG) to examine cortical interference when a visual working memory (VWM) task was paired with a postural task. The change detection task was used, as it requires storage of information without updating or manipulation and predicts VWM capacity. Ground reaction forces (GRFs) (horizontal and vertical), EMG, and EEG elements, time locked to support surface perturbations, were used to infer the active neural processes underlying the automatic control of balance in 14 young adults. A significant reduction was seen between single task (ST) and DT conditions in VWM capacity (F(1,13) = 6.175, p < 0.05, r = 06) and event-related potential (ERP) N1 component amplitude over the L motor (p < 0.001) and R sensory (p < 0.05) cortical areas. In addition, a significant increase in the COP trajectory peak (pkcopx) was seen in the DT versus ST condition. Modulation of VWM capacity as well as ERP amplitude and pkcopx in DT conditions provided evidence of an interference pattern, suggesting that the two modalities shared a similar set of attentional resources. The results provide direct evidence of the competition for central processing attentional resources between the two modalities, through the reduction in amplitude of the ERP evoked by the postural perturbation.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by the National Institute of Health, Grant #AG021598 to Dr Marjorie Woollacott (PI). The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Human Physiology, University of Oregon, 1240 University of Oregon, 122C Esslinger Hall, Eugene, OR, 97403, USA

    C. Elaine Little & Marjorie Woollacott

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  1. C. Elaine Little
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  2. Marjorie Woollacott
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Correspondence to C. Elaine Little.

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Little, C.E., Woollacott, M. EEG measures reveal dual-task interference in postural performance in young adults. Exp Brain Res 233, 27–37 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00221-014-4111-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00221-014-4111-x

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