The study used data from 11,600 adults across the United States aged 45-84. Participants completed a range of cognitive tests to measure multitasking abilities, such as walking and talking or holding a conversation while simultaneously carrying out a task. The results showed that those in their mid-fifties had lower scores than younger adults on these tests. This research suggests that middle age adults may experience some deterioration in their ability to multitask by 55 years old – at least ten years earlier than previously thought. While this decline is more gradual than what might be expected for physical activities like running or lifting, it still highlights an important point: taking care of our minds isn’t something we can put off until later in life; it needs to start early on if we are to maintain good mental health throughout our lives.
The study also suggests that changes in brain function can occur at any age, from childhood to young adulthood. It’s not just limited to the elderly population. During dual-task activities, it appears as though there is a decrease in the ability of the working memory (the part of the brain responsible for holding information temporarily) to hold two pieces of information simultaneously. This could explain why people are more prone to forgetting details when doing multiple tasks simultaneously. The researchers hope this research will help support interventions and therapies to prevent dementia and other cognitive decline associated with aging.
The experiment also showed that dual-task walking is more difficult for older people than younger adults. Older participants made more errors in their sign reading when they had to walk simultaneously. They were also slower and took shorter steps, which decreased their overall performance compared with younger participants who completed both tasks without difficulty. These results suggest that as we age, our ability to multitask decreases due to changes in the aging brain and may even affect our safety when walking outdoors.
When the participants were asked to walk on a split-belt treadmill, which creates different speeds for each leg, the older adults had greater difficulty maintaining balance. They also showed subtle changes in how they initiated and stopped walking movements compared with younger people. “These findings suggest that age-related differences in brain function could be related to gait impairment,” Zhou said. The researchers then looked at cognitive performance by having participants complete tests of executive functions such as working memory, processing speed, and verbal fluency. The results showed that middle-aged adults performed worse than their younger peers on all three assessments, even when accounting for health conditions such as diabetes or hypertension. Although there was no direct link between cognitive performance and gait ability, the two were associated with age – meaning both declines with increasing years of life.
In addition, evidence suggests that multitasking can lead to a decrease in overall performance. When people are asked to switch tasks rapidly, they make more mistakes and take longer to complete their work. This could be due to the increased cognitive load associated with attempting multiple tasks at once. Furthermore, it is possible that multitasking increases stress levels which could further impair cognitive abilities and cause fatigue after prolonged use. Therefore, individuals of all ages need to understand the potential drawbacks associated with multitasking before deciding if this approach suits them.
“It is likely that a combination of genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors all contribute to how quickly we age,” he concluded. “By understanding the various influences on aging, researchers may be able to develop interventions for slowing or even reversing its effects,” Zhou said that research into anti-aging treatments is still in its early stages but holds great promise for helping people live longer lives with better health.