The Effect of Dual-Task on Manual Dexterity and Functional Mobility in Community-Dwelling Older Adults

Abstract

Background/Purpose: To determine the effect of dual-task (DT) on manual dexterity (MD) and functional mobility (FM) in community- dwelling older adults (OA) and investigate the relationships between the dual-task effect (DTE) and the activities of daily living (ADL) and the quality of life (QoL). Methods: 33 healthy older adults ( 20 women, 13 men; median age= 68) participated in this study. The assessments included; the Purdue Pegboard Test (PPT), the Timed Up and Go Test (TUG), the Barthel Index (BI), and the Short Form 36 (SF-36). Results: There were significant differences between single and DT performances for all sub-scores and the total score of the PPT and the TUG. There were positive correlations between DTE on the total score and all sub-scores of the PPT except the assembly sub-score and the BI, the SF-36 Physical Component (PC), and the SF-36 Mental Component (MC). Also, there were negative correlations between DTE on the TUG and the BI, the SF-36 PC, and the SF-36 MC. Conclusion: We found that DT negatively affects MD and FM of OA. This effect increases with the complexity of the task. Also, there is a relationship between the DTE and the ADL or the QoL in OA. Copyright (c) 2021, Asian Association for Frailty and Sarcopenia and Taiwan Association for Integrated Care. Published by Full Universe Integrated Marketing Limited.