Best Poster Award: Neural responses in older adults during dual-task balance recovery on slopped terrain

Sidarta, Ananda (Recipient), Cruz Gonzalez, Pablo (Recipient), Li, Xun (Recipient), Kwong, Wai Hang (Recipient), Zhang, Jiaqi (Recipient) & Chua, Karen (Recipient)

Prize: Prize (research)

Description

Best Poster Award at the Singapore Health and Biomedical Congress, October 2025, Singapore.

Awarded date	9 Oct 2025
Degree of recognition	International

Awarded at event

Event title	Singapore Health and Biomedical Congress 2025
Location	, Singapore, SingaporeShow on map
Period	9 Oct 2025 → 10 Oct 2025

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Background & Hypothesis Age-related decline in physiological systems increases the risk of falls. This study investigated the impact of a secondary cognitive task on cortical responses to postural threat in sedentary older adults within a challenging built environment. We hypothesized that the cognitive task would alter neural activity moments after balance correction. Methods Ten sedentary neurologically intact older adults (aged 55–75 years), as classified by the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). Recruitment was done through convenience sampling. Individuals with a history of musculoskeletal injury and disability, cognitive impairment, or vertigo were excluded. Participants stood on a 25-degree sloped surface and underwent controlled forward perturbations using a lean-and-release apparatus. Electroencephalography (EEG) recorded cortical activity. Three conditions were tested: (1) Passive, in which participants remained relaxed while a secondary harness prevented stepping; (2) Active, requiring participants to step forward to recover balance; and (3) Cognitive, identical to Active but with an added task of memorizing two-digit numbers before perturbation. Data cleaning was done in EEGLAB to remove any artifacts. Results A low-amplitude cortical evoked potential, identified as the N100 component, was consistently observed across conditions. The addition of a cognitive task significantly reduced N100 amplitude at mid-central sites (Cz, FC1, FC2), as compared to the passive condition, without affecting its latency. No adverse events or fear of falling were reported. Discussion & Conclusion Dual-tasking attenuates neural responses involved in postural control among sedentary older adults, suggesting that cognitive load may impair cortical processing of balance threats, potentially increasing fall risk in complex real-world environments.