Functional Living in Older Adults With Type 2 Diabetes: Executive Functioning, Dual Task Performance, and the Impact on Postural Stability and Motor Control

OBJECTIVE:Older adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2) experience accelerated age-related decline in some domains of cognition. The present study sought to investigate executive functioning and dual tasking capacities in this group.METHOD:Older adults with DM2 and age-matched controls completed...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Smith, M., Else, J., Paul, L., Foster, Jonathan, Walker, M., Wesnes, K., Riby, L.
Format: Journal Article
Published: Sage Publications, Inc. 2014
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/5119
Description
Summary:OBJECTIVE:Older adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2) experience accelerated age-related decline in some domains of cognition. The present study sought to investigate executive functioning and dual tasking capacities in this group.METHOD:Older adults with DM2 and age-matched controls completed self-report measures assessing everyday activities, a comprehensive cognitive battery and more specific tasks assessing executive functioning, dual tasking, postural stability, and motor control.RESULTS:Executive abilities were particularly compromised in the participants with DM2. Furthermore, the DM2 group exhibited reduced postural stability under dual task conditions.DISCUSSION:These findings suggest that deficits in more complex cognitive activities underlie the decline in everyday function in DM2.