Psychological and stabilographic features of healthy persons with different capabilities of performing dual tasks

A dual task study including control of postural balance and counting was conducted on 40 healthy subjects (with an average age of 29.8 ± 2.47 years) along with a psychological examination that included estimation of the working memory, attention, and the time of attention switch. Three types of dual task performance were observed: worsening of either one or both components of the dual task, improvement of one component, and improvement of both components of the dual task. 30% of participants performed a dual task better than isolated tasks. Successful performance in the dual task correlated with the higher volume of spatial and working memory, attention, and a rapid switch of attention. The speed of sway of the center of pressure (CoP) negatively correlated with the speed of attention switch, while the amplitude of the CoP shift in the frontal plane negatively correlated with the volume of spatial and working memory. These data suggest involvement of the cognitive resources in controlling the upright balance and a high degree of motor automatism when the dual tasks are successfully performed. Our experimental paradigm is expected to be helpful in predicting individual performance in situations with high information loads.