Work

Task-dependent changes in the cortical control of postural dual tasks: effects of secondary cognitive and motor tasks

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: We examined motor cortical excitability when maintaining balance while performing a secondary motor or cognitive task. When the secondary motor task was involved, balance performance worsened and corticospinal excitability increased. Dual tasks involving the secondary cognitive task resulted in contrasting effects, with either no change or an improvement in balance performance, along with no change in cortical control. These findings demonstrate how different motor cortical strategies are adopted depending on the dual task requirements.

Source: Journal of Neurophysiology

DOI: 10.1152/jn.00471.2024

Authors: Craig D. Tokuno, Michael Wälchli, Benedikt Lauber, Wolfgang Taube

Institutions: Brock University, University of Fribourg

Language: English

Topic: Balance, Gait, and Falls Prevention

Subfield: Physical Therapy, Sports Therapy and Rehabilitation

Field: Health Professions

Domain: Health Sciences

Open Access status: green

Funders: National Science Foundation, Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada

Awards: G1535498127, Motor cortical control of dual-tasking and learning-related plasticity in dual tasks