AGE-RELATED STEREOTYPE THREAT INFLUENCES POSTURAL-COGNITIVE DUAL-TASK PERFORMANCE IN OLDER ADULTS

With advancing age, maintaining balance increasingly relies on cognitive supervision. This is typically revealed in dual-task situations that require sharing attention. Stereotype threats (ST), which increases attentional load in older adults, could weaken this cognitive supervision of balance. This study is based on the hypothesis that ST may lead to an overestimation of the dual-task effect on postural performance. To test this, we compared posturo-cognitive dual-task performance between two groups of older adults: one exposed to ST and another placed in a reduced-threat condition (RT). Twenty-two healthy participants aged 65 to 75 were pseudo-randomly assigned to the two groups. While standing on a movableforce platform, they performed a visuospatial working memory task. Performances were assessed across progressively challenging contexts (eyes open or closed, with or without a foam surface). Postural performance was evaluated using posturographic and motion analysis. Dual-task effects differed between groups. In the ST group, with eyes open, cognitive performance was impaired while postural performance was maintained. Interestingly, with eyes closed, cognitive performance declined further, while postural performance improved. This inverse pattern reflects a shift in strategy, prioritizing posture over cognition. In contrast, the RT group showed no significant dual-task impact compared to single-task performance. The added attentional load induced by ST appears to redirect attentional resources toward postural control. Furthermore, the instructions given to the RT group were effective enough to help participants overcome negative expectations.These findings highlight the importance of considering age-related stereotype threat when assessing balance in older adults, especially in diagnostic settings.