Project Overview

Everyday mobility involves attending to moving visual objects (e.g., pedestrians) while in motion (i.e., motor multitasking). Motor multitasking poses challenges for older adults due to age-related declines in cognitive, sensory, and motor functions, thus increasing the risk of falling. We have shown that training cognitive control functions can improve motor multitasking and reduce falls risk, however training of visual processing is understudied despite its everyday relevance. There is also a growing need to improve the availability and delivery of evidence-based training programs to older adults for whom personal or external factors (e.g., frailty, pandemic safety, extreme weather, residential care) preclude out-of-home participation in falls prevention programs. Our preliminary research demonstrates improvements in walking, cognition, and motor multitasking following four weeks of visual attention training. These promising results were observed with participants free of motor or cognitive impairments, thus our immediate objective for the proposed 1-year period is to expand recruitment to individuals living with frailty and/or hearing loss who have increased falls risk. Our long-term research program will involve partnering with the training software company to adapt the program for use in residential care contexts.