Effects of Different Forms of Fatigue on Double-Task Performance in the Elderly

NCT04806022 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: 21-PP-02
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 66
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The dual task (walking and cognitive task at the same time) is increasingly used in geriatrics in protocols for detecting people who are falling and/or for highlighting cognitive disorders. However, frail elderly people tend to get tired quickly and a lack of awareness of the effects of fatigue on dual-task performance could alter the diagnosis. There are two types of fatigue: mental fatigue and peripheral muscle fatigue. Each participant will do both types of fatigue over 2 appointments spaced by 7 days so that the subject can recover from induced fatigue. The sequence of fatigue tasks will be randomized. At the first appointment (day 0):

• The subject must walk on 10m with round trip for 1min.
• the subject must do the arithmetic count of 3 in 3
• Then comes the evaluation in double task (walking and counting at once for 1min). The subject must walk on 10m with round trip for 1min by doing the arithmetic count of 3 in 3 at the same time.
• mental fatigue task or muscle fatigue task (randomized)
• post-fatigue assessment (the same as pre-fatigue assessment)
• Pre-fatigue assessment :
• The subject must walk on 10m with round trip for 1min.
• the subject must do the arithmetic count of 3 in 3
• Then comes the evaluation in double task (walking and counting at once for 1min). The subject must walk on 10m with round trip for 1min by doing the arithmetic count of 3 in 3 at the same time.
• mental fatigue task or muscle fatigue task (randomized)
• post-fatigue assessment (the same as pre-fatigue assessment)

Conditions

Elderly

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Dual task performance after muscular fatigue

  Dual task performance (DTEspeed motor performance; DTEcog cognitive performance) will be compared before and after a protocol of peripheral mental and muscular fatigue. For Dual Task Performance, the cognitive task performance (maximum count count - error count) performed alone (single ST task) and performed while walking (double ST task) will be compared.

  at inclusion (day 0)

• Dual task performance after cognitive fatigue

  Dual task performance (DTEspeed motor performance; DTEcog cognitive performance) will be compared before and after a protocol of peripheral mental and muscular fatigue. For Dual Task Performance, the cognitive task performance (maximum count count - error count) performed alone (single ST task) and performed while walking (double ST task) will be compared.

  at day 7

Study Arms (2)

Mental Fatigue Task first

EXPERIMENTAL

* First appointment : 1. Pre-fatigue assessment 2. mental fatigue task 3. post-fatigue assessment * 7 resting days * second appointment 1. Pre-fatigue assessment 2. Muscle fatigue task 3. post-fatigue assessment

Other: Fatigability assessment

Muscle fatigue task first

EXPERIMENTAL

* First appointment : 1. Pre-fatigue assessment 2. Muscle fatigue task 3. post-fatigue assessment * 7 resting days * second appointment 1. Pre-fatigue assessment 2. mental fatigue task 3. post-fatigue assessment

Other: Fatigability assessment

Interventions

Fatigability assessment OTHER

Each participant will do both types of fatigue over 2 appointments spaced by 7 days so that the subject can recover from induced fatigue. The sequence of fatigue tasks will be randomized.

Mental Fatigue Task first; Muscle fatigue task first

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 20 Years - 90 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• to 40 years old

You may not qualify if:

• psychiatric disorders
• Severe hearing or vision loss
• Motor or sensory disability that may interfere with test completion
• Old group
• to 90 years old
• less than 3 Fried's criteria of fragility
• walking ability without technical assistance (at least 10m).
• psychiatric disorders
• Severe hearing or vision loss
• Motor or sensory disability that may interfere with test completion
• Old frail group
• to 90 years old
• or more Fried's criteria of fragility
• walking ability without technical assistance (at least 10m).
• psychiatric disorders

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nice: lead

Study Sites (1)

CHU de Nice

Nice, 06000, France

Location

Related Publications (1)

• Piche E, Gerus P, Zory R, Jaafar A, Guerin O, Chorin F. Effects of muscular and mental fatigue on spatiotemporal gait parameters in dual task walking in young, non-frail and frail older adults. Aging Clin Exp Res. 2023 Oct;35(10):2109-2118. doi: 10.1007/s40520-023-02506-8. Epub 2023 Aug 3.

  PMID: 37535312 RESULT

Study Officials

• Olivier GUERIN

  Nice University Hospital, Gerontology Department

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: BASIC SCIENCE
• Intervention Model: CROSSOVER
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: March 10, 2021
• First Posted: March 19, 2021
• Study Start: January 19, 2022
• Primary Completion: September 30, 2022
• Study Completion: October 6, 2022
• Last Updated: March 24, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-03

Locations

FR (1)